


If Leonardo Met Erynnis First

by PonderRose



Category: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TV 2012)
Genre: F/M, Friends to Lovers, Friendship/Love, Jealousy, Love Triangles, Possessive Behavior, Protectiveness, Romantic Friendship, Unresolved Romantic Tension
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-03
Updated: 2018-10-07
Packaged: 2019-07-24 14:49:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 31,746
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16177301
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PonderRose/pseuds/PonderRose
Summary: Leonardo meets you- a woman (you) with the ability to travel almost anywhere just by opening a door. You have no idea where this power originates from; all you know is that you've had it since you can remember. And that's not your only unexplainable power. With your abilities, you show the turtles a brand new world. You also come to realize that love is also a part of this new life.





	1. Paris

Takes place at start of TMNT (2012) season one, episode thirteen (in Edinburgh instead of New York)- 

Leonardo was pissed off. His brothers usually annoyed him, but Raphael had this particular way of pushing the wrong buttons. Screw Raph! Let him lead the team if he thinks he can do it better, which he can’t. Thinking about it only fanned Leonardo’s anger. The foot clan arrived at just the right time. Pulling out his swords, he spun around to see roughly four or so foot clan members standing behind him. “Foot clan? Heh, you guys just made my night,” he said. 

I was standing on the billboard, watching the whole affair from afar. I kept an eye pealed for any sign of injury or blood. The fight was over within seconds thankfully, with a clear victor. He let out a relieved sigh, relaxing his muscles a bit. “Ah, I feel so much better,” he grinned to himself. 

Leonardo’s head instantly shot up to me when I moved on the billboard. His eyes narrowed in on me as I emerged into the light. Deeming him not to be a threat, to me at least, I jumped down, rather gracelessly. “My goodness your strong!” I smiled at the giant turtle, my pink and green irises glimmering in the moonlight. “Uh……” Leonardo stared at me with huge, dumbfounded eyes. “Thanks?” 

My smile began to fade when my eyes rolled over to the swords in his hands. “I didn’t think I looked that threatening.” “Uh, oh!” Leonardo flinched up when he realized that he was still holding his swords. “S-sorry……” He waivered for a moment before straightening his stance again. “Why were you with the Foot Clan?” His voice wasn’t as intimidating as I think he hoped it’d be. “Is that what they’re called?” The blue-masked turtle watched as I walked over to the battered men on the ground. I scanned them over more closely for injury, moving onto the next when I found none. “No serious damage; they’ll recover soon.” Then I straightened up to smile at the turtle. “Thank you for not killing them, Mr. Turtle.” 

“Get real!” Leonardo sheathed his swords, glancing away from me. “I would never do that.” “I’m very glad to hear that. A good moral compass is attractive in a man,” I said with a smile that made Leonardo blush, his cheeks sizzling like a sunburn. I watched him for a moment longer before speaking again; it was clear that he had little to no experience with women. “Anyways, I should get going. Are you hurt anywhere?” “Only my pride,” he said under his breath. “I can’t heal that,” I laughed, shaking my head. He flinched when I turned to go. “In that event, I’m off. Nice meeting you, Mr. Turtle.” “Uh, Leonardo,” he stated, still not looking me in the eye. “My name’s Leonardo.” “Leonardo,” I repeated. “That’s a fine name! I’m Erynnis.” “At-a-nay-oose,” he tried to echo, failing miserably. I laughed. “Eros is the translation.” “Eros! Ok,” he nodded to himself. 

“Goodbye, Leonardo. Have a good, safe night.” “Huh, yeah…… good night,” Leonardo rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. With one last smile, I turned to leave. I couldn’t help but notice the familiar presence follow me down the alley. Smiling to myself, I glanced up to the shadows where I knew Leonardo was concealing himself. The poor fellow, he’s probably never left the city. Thinking quickly, I eyed the moon in the sky and checked the time on my phone. It would be dark enough in Paris for him to come- if he wanted to, that is. 

Leonardo flinched when I waved in his direction. He was sure that I couldn’t see him but still felt nervous at the sudden, unexpected jester. “Leonardo! Come down here!” When he didn’t, I held up both my arms. “There’s nothing to be afraid! I’m not trying to trick you!” Against his better judgment, the blue-masked turtle scaled down the side of the building opposite me, not revealing himself from the shadows. I smiled in an attempt to calm his nerves. “I was just on my way to Paris, and I wondering if you would like to accompany me.” 

“Paris?” Leonardo asked in a sceptical, still hidden in the darkness. “How are you going to get to Paris tonight?” Grinning, I stepped out of way of the door and opened it, showing the illustrious city on the other side. I made sure to open the door to somewhere where he could see the overall layout of the place but still be out of sight from pedestrians below. Leonardo hesitantly stepped out of the shadows, swords in hands, looking from the city to me. “It’s ok,” I encouraged kindly. “I would never hurt you.” To prove my point, I went through the door first. I stopped to gaze at the glistening city, taking in a deep breath and shutting my eyes. Then I opened my eyes with a wide smile on my face. “It never gets old.” Content, I glanced back to see the awed and suspicious turtle standing at the doorway, afraid to step through the thresh-hold. 

“Have you ever here before, Leonardo?” “N-no,” the blue-masked turtle answered in a shaky voice. “Come,” I smiled, reaching out my hand for his. My eyes softened when he didn’t take the invitation. “You can trust me. Not everyone in the world is your enemy.” “How do I know that this isn’t a trap?” He asked, still glancing around. “I’ve never trapped anyone before, and I shouldn’t like to start tonight.” When he didn’t respond, the smile on my lips widened. “I was going to explore the roof of the cathedral tonight. Would you like to be my escort?” “Escort?” He raised an eyebrow. “A male chaperon to a lady. You’d make a wonderful chaperon, I feel very safe with you.” “You do!?” 

Leonardo gave me a look which publicised, quite by accident I’m sure, that he had never been told anything of the sort before. The blue-masked turtle for his part, looked what could only be described as conflicted. His eyes were wide overjoyed, but he was frowning. I knew there was an internal war going on inside his mind over whether he could and should trust me- everything about me and this screamed suspicion. Realizing this, I decided that the best course of action was to show that I trusted him so to prompt his trust in me. Leonardo blinked in surprise when I pulled out my phone. I held it out for him to take. He looked from it to me, giving me a puzzled expression. 

“Here, take my phone.” “W-why?” “Because I want it back and you having it is your leverage against me. I trust you enough not to destroy or lose my phone while we’re in Paris together, and you can be sure I won’t leave you stranded or hurt you because you have it. You have my full permission to do what you like with it if I do betray your trust. Just give it back to me when we return to Edinburgh,” I bit my lip, remembering something. “Oh! But please, don’t lose it. My card’s in there and….. my student ID. I need those back intact.” 

Leonardo didn’t say anything has he took my phone from me in awe. To double-check what I was saying, he opened it to find my bank card and school card inside the wallet flap. “And don’t worry, it’s not tapped or anything…….. A-at least I hope it’s not. I watch movies on it sometimes from the internet. And here, I’ll give you the passcode,” I unlocked it upside-down while he still held it. Leonardo looked on the screen to see a normal-looking phone of a young woman. It had contacts, photos, music, movies- the works. Slowly his bright blue eyes scrolled up to meet mine, much softer this time. 

“W-why are you doing this?” I shrugged. “I want you to trust, and giving you my phone, the thing I use the most every day, seems the best way to do that right now.” Leonardo didn’t respond, gazing back down at the pink phone in his large, green hand in amazement. “And this way, you know I won’t leave you. I want that back, so don’t give it back until we’re back. Oh! But don’t forget to give it to me either. I need it.” “Ok,” Leonardo finally nodded. I smiled as he put the phone away in his pouch and looked at me sternly. “It’s definitely against my better judgement but I believe you.” “You should, I’m trusting you with my phone, which I do not have money to replace. Just give me my card when I ask please, and I’ll buy us some food later if you want.” “Sure,” Leonardo grinned. 

Hesitantly, very hesitantly, the turtle stepped through the thresh-hold and beheld Paris in full view for the first time. He wasn’t sure before but now he knew that this was no illusion- he was in Caen. For the first time in his life, he had left the island to set foot on the continent across the sea. And he never regretted it from the very first second he crossed over- he was so entranced, more than he had ever been. Everything hit him at once: the scent of smoke, flowers, and that indescribable Parisian city odor. The roof beneath him felt different against his feet; the concrete was smoother and seemed very old. The Seine was in the distant, disappearing into the large moon stretching far in front of us. Countless old buildings were scattered everywhere; they looked more elegant than the ones in Edinburgh. The city was stunning and alien at the same time. It was just across the channel, but it could have been another planet to the awed turtle. It felt, smelt, and looked like another world all together, and Leonardo felt himself suddenly possessed to see more- to see all that he could. The fight with Raphael and his abandoning the team seemed worlds away and was quite out of his mind right now. 

I smiled, simply observing Leonardo’s reaction from behind, resting on the grey-stone wall and folding my arms. He didn’t notice me for some time, too engrossed in the scenery out in front of him. It took him a few minutes to remember me, as he turned back with this enlightened and wonderful look on his face. He had a face that seemed like he had just “come to”, after he let everything settle inside him. My smile widened but I didn’t say anything, just stared at him, content with his reaction. “That’s Paris……” He said more like a statement than a question. I nodded, not saying anything. “We’re in Caen……” He said in a smaller voice. My head nodded softer this time. He looked at me, taking in a few deep breaths before he spoke again. “Where are we?” He asked in a whisper. 

“The roof of the Sacre-Coeur Basillca. It’s a famous cathedral in the North region of Paris,” I explained, going over to stand beside him and overlook the city. I smiled to myself, glancing at Leonardo from the corner of my eye. “Probably one of the stupidest things I have ever done was to trace around here alone while it was raining. Years ago, when I first came here, I went to climb the roof. It was near closing time, but this lovely elderly nun sold me a ticket anyways. It was pouring like mad and I was the only one up here,” I laughed at myself as I told the story. Leonardo looked at me but didn’t interrupt. “I was so afraid of slipping, knowing that if I fell, no one would hear or see me. It was really terrifying actually, and I didn’t realize how stupid it was until I was up here. I made it out alright, hours later somehow,” I added with a smirk. “I didn’t want to come here again without an escort, particularly at night,” I met his gaze, finishing my story. He glanced away, considering to himself. 

“Is that why you brought me here?” I shook my head, looking out to the glittering city again. “No. Despite that terrifying experience, I love it here. It’s a beautiful cathedral and I know….. that no one would be up here, from experience.” Our gaze met again, and I grinned. “I knew it would be safe for you to see the whole city here; that’s why.” “Oh!” Leonardo blinked, feeling rather stupid for asking in the first place. “I see…… Thanks.” Was all he could think to see. I watched him for a moment longer before heading back over to the door. “Do you want to see the interior? I promise you won’t be disappointed. And then you can choose where we go.” “R-really? Me? Choose?” “If you don’t mind leading,” I countered. “Uh!” He blinked in astonishment at me before joining me at the door. “N-no, no….. I don’t mind leading,” and Leonardo couldn’t hide the grin creeping involuntarily across his lips. 

The next hour was unlike anything Leonardo had ever experienced. The city positively enraptured him. It was full of beautiful architecture, the likes he had never seen before. The people looked and sounded different. He could not speak Elvish, but I translated what was necessary. He had also never tasted true Parisian food, which he tried after I offered more than once. I saw the mistake of giving him my card when he refused to give it back to me when I offered to buy him a baguette and pastry for dinner. When he finally relented, I bought use sandwiches and raspberry tarts- my favorite. I laughed as he inspected them cautiously, taking a bite out of each to prove that they weren’t poisoned. After his first nervous bite, his eyes grew huge with delight as he quickly finished off what food we had. I even let him have my tart, seeing how much he loved it. 

All of this was new and foreign to Leonardo, including the company. He had never spent this much time with a human, never mind a girl, and especially alone. I was not like anyone he had ever met before, and that wasn’t just a compliment to me- it was the truth. I was quiet like Splinter but softer, more feminine. I wasn’t brash or assertive like April, and definitely wasn’t like his brothers. He had never spent this much time with someone tender, sweet, and meek like me. It unnerved him to no end at first and Leonardo didn’t know exactly how I would react to his comments or actions. But as time passed and we saw more of Paris together, he became more relaxed. Too relaxed in his opinion actually. He knew that he foreign city with danger potentially looming around every corner, but he didn’t feel that that was the case with me. I had a calm and happy demeaner which made him feel calm as well. He did feel calm, Leonardo became aware of it for the first time when we were looking at a gigantic stained-glass window. He looked at me as I stared up at the work of art. Somehow, without his noticing it, he was peaceful, tranquil. 

Leonardo decided that he liked Paris and me after tracing around for some time. The city and I were both new experiences, but he enjoyed himself. Leonardo never had romantic feelings for anyone or even had a crush before, so he wasn’t sure what it would be like. But he noticed that he felt something- something he had never felt before. It happened when he looked out at the city and when he looked at me. He couldn’t understand why but he felt indescribably happy when I smiled at him. And the turtle liked the thought of being a protector, a guardian of something, or rather someone. It was not verbally acknowledged but we both knew that I depended on his protection. It became evident when I spotted a rat in the street below. Terrified, I let out a loud screech and buried my face in the side of Leonardo’s buff arm. He was so surprised that he didn’t say anything. Normally he’d laugh and make a comment on how human girls are afraid of rodents, but my fear and retreat into him for comfort were so genuine that he didn’t. Instead, he let me stay like that and told me when it was safe to look again. 

The best part of the night came at the end of our two hours together. We had spent less than two hours in Paris but if felt like barely twenty minutes. When I was sure that it was dark enough, I took Leonardo to my favorite place in the world- the gardens at the palace of Versailles. He loved them, climbing the hedges and bouncing around on top of them, making me laugh from the safety of the ground. After exploring for some time, we found a bench in front of a still fountain to sit and oversee the lake. It was there that Leonardo told me about his fight with his brother, which he only remembered when I asked about his family. I listened quietly as he relayed the story to me. 

“He just doesn’t get it,” Leonardo huffed, gazing out at the water in front of us. “It’s super hard being the leader and they don’t make it any easier. It’s not my fault Master chose me. No one even asked me if I wanted to be the leader.” I nodded my head, also turning to look at the lake; the moon glowing in its reflection. “I understand, that’s a lot for one person….. uh turtle to take on.” Leonardo sighed and rested his cheek in his hand. I looked over to him out of the corner of my eye, grinning softly and glancing up. “Now I understand why I feel so safe with you.” “You do?” He asked, turning his head towards me in confusion; he didn’t see what that had to do with this. My smile widened softly. “The irony is that you’re the leader because you’re the strongest. It’s takes a lot more than just physical strength to lead anyone, no less a team of trained combatants. You’re the leader because you’re afraid,” I continued speaking before he could demand what I meant. “You’re afraid of failure, you’re afraid of being a bad leader, and yet you lead in spite of that. That’s what makes you the strongest, in my eyes anyways. I admire you so much,” I finished, glancing back up to the stars. 

Leonardo blushed, not sure what to say. He had never been “admired” before and when he was honest with himself, it made a great balloon of pride swell up in his chest. But he still didn’t say anything- he didn’t know what to say to that. He feared that anything he said would make him sound self-conceded. It ate it up his thoughts so much that the blue-masked turtle flinched when I spoke again. “I’m sorry, Leonardo.” 

“What?!” Leonardo jerked over at me. “What for?! You didn’t do anything.” “I’m sorry I automatically assumed that you would take the lead tonight. I should have asked first; I hope you don’t mind.” “N-no! That’s not the kind of leading I’m talking about!” His hands waved frantically in front of him. “I don’t mind! B-besides, I don’t really feel like I’m leading with you.” “Really?” “Yeah,” he shrugged, glancing downwards in front of him. “It’s actually really nice being here……. with you.” “Good, I like being here with you too. I feel so safe with you around, plus you’re a lot of fun,” I gave him a playful nudge. “Yeah?” He asked, cracking a slight grin. “Do you feel safe here?” I asked, genuinely curious. 

Leonardo thought to himself for a moment. He recalled that realization that he was calm, much calmer than he was used to being. Remembering that, the blue-masked turtle decided that he did feel safe here. Actually, the only time he felt anxious was the thought of anything happening to me oddly enough. Without realizing he was doing it, he took his role as my protector seriously- and he loved it. I was already looking at Leonardo when he glanced back at me. He smiled, which my lips quickly mirrored when I understood what that meant. “Yeah,” I spoke before realizing what I was saying. “Me too.” Me looked at each other for another minute then turned out to the water. 

On our way back to “the door”, I paused to pick a small posy for Leonardo. He blushed to no end when I gently placed it in his strap. “There, your first souvenir from Versailles.” “T-thanks!” He spat, not meeting my soft gaze. “What time is it?” “Uh, almost eleven,” Leonardo checked his T-phone. “Wow! Two hours gone by already!” I stretched my arms up high above me. “Well, I guess we should be heading back.” “Yeah,” his eyes trailed down. “It’s about time I got back.” “Is where we came from alright?” I asked, heading over to grab the door handle. “That’s fine.” Nodding, I opened “the door” up and we were back in Edinburgh. Leonardo went through the door first and I shut it behind us. Then I turned to smile at him. “We’re back! Safe and sound, as promised.” “Thanks,” he mirrored my grin, folding his arms. “May I have my phone back please?” “Huh? Oh yeah! Sure,” Leonardo’s eyes grew like he totally forgot about earlier. He took it out and carefully handed it to me. After a quick check for any messages or missed calls- there were none- I put it away in my pocket. 

Neither of us said anything for a moment. We just looked from each other to the ground shyly; Leonardo kicked the dirt at his feet, balling his hands into fists. “Well, I guess this is it.” “Yes,” was all I said. “Are you going to walk home or……?” “I’ll tesseract home,” I said. Leonardo nodded approving. “Ok, good.” “And you? Are you going back to the lair now?” “Yeah. They’re probably not back yet but I don’t really want to look for them.” “What will you say when they ask what you were doing?” 

Leonardo considered for a minute, tracing the lines in the ground with his eyes thoughtfully. Eventually he sighed to himself. “Don’t know. Heh, I think it’s too late to tell them that I just spent the last two hours in Paris,” he said with a smirk. I laughed. “I agree. That will be quite a conversation.” Leonardo found himself smiling at me when I said this. “I had a good time tonight, Eros.” “I should hope so! You were in Paris.” “The company wasn’t bad either,” he countered with a sly grin. I smiled kindly at him. “Here,” I held up the pink and white candy bag to him. “You take this. A small taste of Caen in Edinburgh.” “Are you sure?” I nodded my head affirmingly. “Yes. It’s all yours. I can always get more.” “Thanks,” he took it and slipped it securely into his shell. I couldn’t help but get this weird feeling at the thought of us parting in a few moments from each other. We had only met a few hours ago but still. “Do you think we’ll see each other again?” I asked without realizing it. I did that a lot around him I noticed. 

This question made Leonardo’s grin fade. He hadn’t considered the possibility that this may be our first and last encounter. He had such a good time that he assumed that it would never end. He just imagined that this was the blooming of a valuable friendship, and possibly more someday. And he didn’t like the idea of me going back to Paris without him. But the turtle also knew that he couldn’t keep me a secret for long if we did decide to go that route. He wasn’t ready to share me with his brothers yet, and somewhere deep inside of him, he was afraid that Splinter might tell him not to see me again if he learned of our adventures tonight. All of this left Leonardo feeling conflicted. He didn’t want to say goodbye to me for good, but he didn’t know how our friendship could proceed from here without us getting caught, and that would happen sooner rather than later knowing his brothers. I didn’t smile when Leonardo looked back at me, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly. 

“I want to see you again, but it’s not that easy. I….. don’t think my brothers would understand and I’m not ready to tell them yet, about our travels I mean.” “I see……” My gaze lowered a little as I came to the sad realization. “Well, then how about we say goodbye,” I quickly spoke again when Leonardo gave me a horrified expression. “For now, just for now. I want to be friends too; there’s so many more places I want to show you. But I don’t want to get you into trouble- that’s the opposite of what I want. So how about I tell you my address and you come to me when you feel it is safe if you want!” My hands shot up at the last part. Leonardo thought it over for a second, nodding his head slowly. “Yeah, I think that will work.” “Lovely! Here, I’ll text you my address.” “Uh, can you write it down for me please? I don’t know if my phone will be tapped or not.” I looked at him curiously but complied, finding a scrap piece of paper laying around and using a borrowed pen to scribble it down. I handed it to him and he quickly put it in his pouch, alongside the posy I gave him at the palace gardens. 

“Thanks. That’ll be perfect.” “Good, I’m glad,” I smiled. We looked at each other for a moment after this, not saying anything; I think we were studying one another for memory’s sake, I know I was. “Well, I’ll be heading home now, I guess,” I finally broke the silence. “Yeah.” “I’m so glad I got to meet you, Leonardo.” “Likewise, Eros.” “Get home safely, ok?” “Always do,” he sent me a cute smirk. I gave him a brilliant smile before heading over to open “the door” to my apartment. My eyes looked back at him one last time. “Good night, Leonardo.” “Night, Eros.” The blue-masked turtle waited to leave until I was safely back at place. Then, with his head swirling with thoughts and memories, he went back to the lair. 

To Leonardo’s surprise, the others were already there when he got home. The whole way he contemplated his next move. In truth, he had no idea about any of the feelings swirling around inside of him right now. It could have been nothing but boyish hormones, or the desire to genuinely be near someone, or both. The eldest turtle was happy and sad, angry and relieved, overjoyed and exhausted all at the same time. He felt like he had grown more in the past two hours than year, intellectually and emotionally. Everything was suddenly clear and confusing; the world seemed so much bigger and kinder than before. He needed someone to talk to about all this, but it couldn’t be his brothers or father. What he wanted more than anything was to speak with a girl, someone who understood women and feelings better than him. And although she was nothing like me, April was the only option Leonardo had to turn to. He would do that later, when he could sneak away with her in confirmed privacy. 

Until then, Leonardo resolved not to tell anyone about our encounter or his travels. He knew that he would have to tell the others eventually, but now just didn’t seem like the right time, especially considering that fight he and Raphael had earlier tonight. He entered the lair to hear his brothers talking, or rather arguing in Donatello’s lair. For a brief minute, Leonardo hesitated, seriously deliberating just leaving them alone and going to bed. But he knew that that would look suspicious, considering his character, so he decided to quickly check in on the others before packing it in for the night. He would try seeing April tomorrow or the next day when he had some time alone. 

The three brothers glanced his way when the eldest opened up the lab’s door. “Leo’s back!” Leonardo heard Michelangelo’s voice first. “And he’s been crying!” The blue-masked turtle blinked in surprised at this declaration, suddenly remembering the unfamiliar amount of smoke in Paris. I couldn’t see his eyes were blood-shot while there, but it made sense to him. “Awe! You missed us!” Michelangelo raced over to give his eldest brother a hug. Leonardo didn’t hug him back, quickly pulling him off and setting him to the side. “I came through a patch of smoke on my way back,” he thought of an easy excuse as he made his way into the lab. “Sure,” Michelangelo said unconvinced. “Big softy.” “And where have you been?” Raphael demanded, resting his fists on his hips and glaring at Leonardo sternly. 

For some reason, this really rubbed Leonardo the wrong way. He had just had a wonderful night, one of the best, with a beautiful, kind girl in one of the loveliest cities in the world. And here was Raphael, chastising him for staying out late. His tone and mannerisms irritated Leonardo and for the first time, he realized that he had done nothing wrong. The elder frowned, returning his brother’s harsh glare. 

“Don’t see how that’s your business,” Leonardo hissed in response. He wasn’t about to let Raphael ruin his adventure like he ruined his pride earlier. Raphael just stared at him for a minute, a little surprised by his sour reaction. The others just assumed that Leonardo had be wandering around the city rooftops in an angry fit. The fact that he refused to confirm their assumptions suggested that they may be wrong. Either way, Raphael chose not to press it, as that would be something too akin to what their “oh-so-precious-leader” would do. 

“Fine, whatever,” Raphael threw his hands out at his side, turning away. Michelangelo rushed up behind him to put his hand on each of his older brothers’ shoulders. “Dudes, can’t we just be cool with each other?” He pleaded, pulling them closer. “Let’s hug this out!” Raphael responded by nudging Michelangelo hard in the chest, making him give off this “oof” sound. Raphael angrily stomped away as the youngest held onto the front of his shell in agony. “Ok, now the healing can begin.” 

“Hey! I think I’ve figured out where Snakeweed’s hideout is!” Donatello called over from the metal table, standing up from his stool. “Where?” Leonardo asked before he realized that he had. He couldn’t stop himself from getting involved- force of habit. “Ok, the radio pattern of recent Snakeweed’s hidings indicates that his lair is at the epicentre of forty-seven and…….” 

The purple-masked turtle was cut off when Raphael’s big hand covered the map. He shot a steady glare at Leonardo. “Actually, you’re on a need-to-know basis, and guess what? You don’t need to know.” Leonardo looked at his younger brother with not as much surprise as he had expected. This was just the type of vindictive thing he would do. But what Raphael didn’t know was that he just cemented Leonardo’s decision. He didn’t want to introduce them to me; he didn’t want them anywhere near me. I was Raphael’s complete opposite- kind, smart, passive, non-temperamental. Us meeting would not go over well, and frankly, as far as Leonardo was concerned, Raphael didn’t deserve to meet me. Let him have his petty revenge; he had something far better. Something much more precious that he could turn his attention to. 

All the brothers, including Raphael, were a little surprised when Leonardo just frowned and stomped out of the room. But Raphael was satisfied enough, smirking and crossing his arms over his shell triumphantly. For a few moments, Leonardo contemplated coming straight to my apartment, or at least to see April, but he figured that his brothers would be leaving the lair soon and didn’t want to risk being followed. He came to a compromise, setting on an episode of Space Heroes and then going out to visit April after he was sure the others were long gone on their quest to find Snakeweed. 

The episode was appropriately titled “The Dangers of Forbidden Romance”; weird name, he thought, but who cares. It focused on Captain Ryan’s secret relationship with an alien princess. He was making out with the princess in one of the control rooms. “We shouldn’t be together, Ryan. It’s against your fleet’s protocol,” she said, resting her hand on his cheek. “Well, Celestial,” Ryan replied in his classic monotone voice. “You don’t get to be captain of the Ductless by falling all the rules,” he raised an eyebrow. “Good,” Celestial held up a ray gun. “Then you won’t mind giving me the codes.” “Celestial,” Ryan frowned sadly. “You’ve just broken my heart.” He then pressed a big, red button that dissolved her within seconds. “But my disintegrator still works,” he smirked, lifting an eyebrow again. “At least I’ll have these,” Ryan said mournfully while picking up her boots. “To remember her by.” “Boy,” Leonardo watched the screen intently, turning it off when the episode was over; that was the end, ironically. “Relationships are complicated.” 

“Leonardo?” A confused Splinter came up behind him to scan over the lair. “Where are your brothers?” Leonardo waved his hand indifferently. “What do you mean, you have no idea?” “Raph thinks he can lead the team better than me, so I let him.” “That is not your decision to make,” Splinter frowned as he approached his son. “Why not master?” Leonardo turned back to him, getting to his feet and holding his hands out at his sides. “I’ve had to make every other decision, and I’m tired of it. Those guys have no idea what kind of pressure I’m under and all they do is complain. I-is it too much to ask for a simple “thank you”?” 

Splinter listened, tightening his grip on his staff. Leonardo flinched when he banged his staff on the ground angrily. “Of course, it is!” He glared down at his son with a sternness that made Leonardo quiver. “Leadership is not about being appreciated. It is about responsibility. It doesn’t matter that the burden is heavy; it matters that you carry it. Now go find your brothers.” Leonardo didn’t move right away, thinking to himself for a second. “Burden……” He whispered to himself, glancing down a little before turning back up to Splinter. The look in his face was not what his father was expecting- it looked…… considerate. 

“Master…… do you think I’m afraid?” “Afraid?” Splinter lifted an eyebrow. “Afraid of the responsibility of being leader?” “Kind of,” Leonardo shrugged, his eyes moving downwards again. “Do you think my fear of being a bad leader actually makes me a better leader, and that’s why you made me the leader? Because my fear of failure is what makes me strong enough to be the leader………” Splinter just stared at his son for a second, blinking in surprise. “Who told you that?” The surprise in Splinter’s voice made Leonardo’s eyes shoot up at him in astonishment. The question gave away Splinter’s thoughts on the manner- thoughts he didn’t expect Leonardo to know or figure out. 

“Uh, no one!” Leonardo lied before he comprehended what he was doing. “It’s just a theory I had,” he added with a quick shrug. When Splinter didn’t say anything but stared down at him intently. “I’ll uh, go find the others,” Leonardo turned to head for the exit, feeling woozy at the tension in the room. “Leonardo,” he froze mid-step at the sound of his father call for him from the other side of the living room. “You smell…… unusual tonight.” “Uh, yeah! I guess I’m extra-sweaty! I’ll wash off when I get home. See you later, Master!” Leonardo didn’t waste any more time running as fast as his legs could carry out of the room. 

Begrudgingly, Leonardo took his time, wandering rather aimlessly once he reached the surface. “What if I don’t want the burden?” Leonardo stomped along the pavement angrily. Sighing to himself, he knew that he’d be in trouble if his brothers went home without him again, so he resolved to find them. “Where are those guys? Donnie said something about 47th and uh……” 

Leonardo paused to look up at the stars in the night sky- the same stars he had sat under in the gardens of Versailles with me. He hadn’t realized that he unconsciously smiled to himself just now, like when he looked over the city for the first time earlier. But he did….. That made his cheeks glow. He needed answered, he needed to know what was happening to him, though he had an idea. When he was that he was alone, he rushed straight over to April’s apartment. 

“April? April?” Leonardo’s large, green finger tapped on the glass as he tried to get his red-haired friend’s attention. April emerged, blinking at Leonardo who was standing outside her bedroom window. “Leo?” He smiled friendly at her, giving a small wave. She sighed, unlocking the window’s latch and pushing it open. “This better be good,” she said in a light voice; her eyes were still drooping from want of sleep. “H-hey, I need to talk.” “Can it wait ‘til morning?” She rubbed her eyes with her hands tiredly. “I met this girl,” Leonardo pressed his forefingers together. 

The look in April’s face suddenly changed as she gasped. Grabbing him by his shoulders, she pulled Leonardo in closer. Then she placed them excitedly in front of her chest, her hands in fists. “Tell me everything!” “Well uh, she’s really sweet,” the eldest turtle began. April nodded her head in anticipation. “She’s not a fighter or anything but she doesn’t seem to mind that I am.” April’s head nodded again. “She’s originally from Caen and is here for school. She’s…… different, but in a good way! She’s smart, and kind, and cultured. I’ve……. never met anyone like her before.” 

“Awe, Leo!” April squealed, softening her eyes on him to what he would call a sappy expression. “I’m so happy for you! So, where did you meet?” “Uh, actually we met earlier tonight. I was fighting some of the Foot Clan and she happened to see me……” Leonardo trailed off, not sure where to steer the conversation from there. “What happened? Did she try and talk to you?” “Well, sort of. It’s gonna sound weird but she wanted to make sure that I was alright…… although, she did check the Foot guys over too,” his eyes rolled off to the side at the last part. “So, she’s the sensitive type?” April pondered, scratching her chin with her finger. “You got that right! But not in a weak way……. More like a poetic way, if that makes any sense.” “It does!” Her face lit up. “Then what happened?” 

“Well uh, we went somewhere together. I…… can’t tell you where exactly but it was amazing! I saw and learned so much and she was awesome company! Two hours went by just like that!” Leonardo snapped his fingers for emphasis. April beamed at her friend. “Was it a date? I know you just met her but it sure sounds like a date.” “Uh, no; I wouldn’t call it that,” Leonardo scratched the back of his head awkwardly. “But I…… I don’t know.” “What you not know?” April asked, folding her arms. “I don’t know…… I don’t know! I just feel all weird when I look at her. She says things like “I’m strong” or “she feels around me”. And….. I don’t know why but I feel so happy when I’m with her, even when I think about her.” “Sounds like you have a crush,” April hummed. “A crush?” Leonardo blinked at her, not as surprised as he thought he would have been. She had just confirmed his suspicions, that’s all; it was not an unconsidered possibility. 

“So! Who is she?” “Mmmmm, I’m not sure if I should say.” “What?” April looked offended. “Why?” “It’s…… complicated.” “Why? Is she with the Foot Clan?” “No!” Leonardo’s hands shot up in front of him. “It’s just…… like I said, she’s different. I don’t know if she’d want me telling others about her yet.” “Not even your brothers?” She now had an expression of astonishment, like this was the last thing she had ever expected from him. “Definitely not them!” Leonardo shot back, looking at her nervously. “They wouldn’t understand someone like her. She’s soft, and gentle, and doesn’t eat pizza. They wouldn’t appreciate who she is.” “And you don’t think I would?” April raised an eyebrow while folding her arms and frowning. 

“It’s not like that April. I just met her tonight. I want to get to know her, one-on-one, before I bring her further into my world. It’s gonna take time, that’s all.” April let out a tired sign and uncrossed her arms, letting them fall to her sides as she lowered her eyes a tad. “I get it. But how do you plan on seeing her more without your brothers finding out?” “I don’t know, but I’ll make it work,” the determination in his voice took April aback. “Are you sure about this, Leo? Aren’t you supposed to be the responsible one?” She sounded unsure of his dubious plan. “Yes April, I’m sure. She’s fun, and I’m tired of being the responsible one. When do I get to have fun?” 

“Alright,” April shrugged, deciding not to press it any further. From the sounds of Leonardo’s argument, the team was going through some internal strive at the moment which she’d rather not get involved in. “So when are you gonna see her again? Or have you gotten that far?” “Not yet exactly but soon! She wrote down her address for me, I’m supposed to go to her when it’s safe.” “Ooooh, a secret rendezvous!” April chimed, looking excited over the whole prospect again. “Well, you know they say, Leo. Forbidden romance is the most passionate!” “It’s not forbidden,” Leonardo countered with an eye roll. “And it’s not romantic either. We’re just two friends who want to get to know each other better.” “Sure, sure,” April nodded her head and gave him a gaze that showed she wasn’t convinced. “Keep me up-to-date and let me know if and when it starts getting steamy!” “I will, but only if you promise not to tell the others, including Splinter.” Leonardo’s nerves calmed when April gave a resolute nod. “My lips are sealed!” 

Meanwhile, on the other side of the city, Raphael and Donatello carried their youngest brother home. Splinter came over to inspect his wounded son as Michelangelo was placed down on the couch. Sitting down and resting his arm over the youngest’s shell, Splinter turned to Raphael with wide eyes. “Where is Leonardo?” He asked in a tone that the turtles did not hear often; he sounded genuinely worried. “I don’t know, Master,” Raphael’s head gave a little shake, sounding as nervous as their father. “And this is a disaster, and it’s all my fault,” his hands shot up at his sides, his face revealing how flustered he was. “I-I don’t know what happened. I just….. froze up. I mean I have no problem risking my own life but…… risking my brothers’……..” His sentence trailed off and Raphael thought that he was going to be sick all over again. 

After checking Michelangelo over for crucial injuries, Splinter let out a small sigh of relief and turned to look at the rattled Raphael. His dark brown eyes were severe and deep. “Now you see the price of leadership- responsibility.” “Yeah,” Raphael agreed. His head yanked sideways angrily. “I hate it!” “So you understand Leonardo’s burden?” Raphael only nodded in response before quickly adding: “we need him back! I……” His eyes rolled downwards in defeat and admission again. “Need him back.” 

“Then go get him,” Splinter said, standing up and clasping his hands behind his back as he walked away. “But Master,” Raphael’s hands lifted. “I don’t know where he is.” “The GPA on his T-phone says that he’s at the seawall,” Donatello noted as he pulled out his own phone to track his brother’s. “Why would he be at the seawall?” Donatello raised an eyebrow, continuing to watch the stationary red dot on his phone’s map. “That’s not anywhere near where I said.” He looked up to Raphael’s stern and slightly confused expression. 

Leonardo didn’t have it in him to try and find his brothers just now and he wasn’t ready to go back home. He traced around the rooftops near April’s building after their discussion ended, trying to think of something to do, something to make himself feel…… ah, he didn’t know, better he guessed. Without realizing it, he was making his way towards the seawall and by the time he figured out where he was, my apartment was within view. At first Leonardo faltered, internally debating with himself if he should get any closer. But curiosity got the better of him; he wanted to see where I lived and assess how safe the area was. His role as my protector never left his subconscious completely and although he was outright aware of its presence, he influenced his actions and thoughts. 

Leonardo found my building with relative ease. It was dark enough out and the sky’s reflection on the sea made it a darker background for him to hide against. When he was sure that no one was nearby or coming down the road, Leonardo stood on the seawall opposite my apartment building. He scanned all the windows, some lit and others dark, in search for any trace of me. His heart skipped a beat for a second when he saw me emerge behind one on the second floor in the middle flat. I hadn’t noticed him standing across the street, busy making myself a pot of tea before bed. I was in a nightgown that revealed my pale, long legs, and not thinking that anyone was watching, didn’t wear a robe overtop. All Leonardo could do was stare of a long while, memorizing my every movement; the graceful motion of my hands and the tender sway of my hips. His legs began to buckle under what felt like an enormous amount of pressure and his head felt queasy once more. He feared for a minute that he would lose his balance and tumble into the sea water below. 

The eldest turtle felt at war with himself again. His first impulse upon seeing me was to grab my attention somehow; to come and see me, talk to me. But Leonardo had to restrain himself as he gave it more thought. He did tell April, and me, that he would see me again soon, but he didn’t mean that soon. We did just meet a couple for hours ago and he worried that it might look weird if he came to me again tonight. He didn’t want to look clingy or desperate. At the same time, he felt equally ridiculous standing there and watching me like one of his programs. His best course of action seemed to leave before I noticed that he was there in the first place. But when he thought of going, his legs suddenly became immobile of their own volition. Growing more nervous by the second, Leonardo tried everything he could think of. He pinched himself, scolded and reasoned with himself, and tried pushing himself off the wall. He failed to see when I spotted him standing there on the seawall, looking rather torn about something. 

Initially startled, a small, kind smile peered my lips. The poor man…… uh turtle. It was murder to see Leonardo argue with himself like that and seeing as I was probably the matter of debate, I made my way over to the window. Leonardo instantly flinched, tilting his head up to my window as I stood on the other side, giving him a little wave. He blushed in embarrassment, looking like a kitten caught in the headlights of an incoming car. Smiling, I pointed up towards the roof with my hand in a motion for him to meet me there. When he appeared to get the message, I quickly went to get changed into black yoga pants and a hoodie. Then I went to open “the door” to the roof, only to find him already there. He emerged from the shadows after I shut the door behind me and came to the center of the rooftop. 

“Well, this is a surprise,” I greeted the man-sized turtle, grinning at him and resting my hands casually on my hips. “I hadn’t expected to see you this soon.” “Uh, yeah well…….” Leonardo’s cheeks reddened again as he glanced away and rubbed the back of his head shyly. “I was in the neighbourhood and thought I’d see your building. But I didn’t plan on seeing you again tonight!” He quickly added, raising his hands up defensively. I laughed. “Well, I’m glad you’re here. That’s a good sign; at least I know it means you’re not in trouble anyways.” “Not yet,” he chuckled nervously. Watching him for another brief second, I walked over to the edge of the building to sit down. Leonardo’s eyes lowered when I patted the place beside me. “Come, sit,” I offered. Not saying anything, he grinned and did as instructed, popping down next to me. We stared out at the ocean for a minute in silence, enjoying the view….. and each other’s presence. 

“Beautiful, isn’t it? I was so lucky to get a place with an ocean view.” “Yeah, you were,” Leonardo agreed, not prying his eyes off the black water. “Did you smooth things over with Raphael?” “Heh, hardly,” the blue-masked turtle snorted. “We didn’t make up, but Master told me to suck it up basically…….” Leonardo tossed a pebble down onto the ground below. “He said that being the leader means carrying the burden of responsibility.” “And he thinks you’re the only one strong enough to carry it?” I asked. Leonardo sent me a playful smirk. “There you go again, calling me strong.” “Is that an insult?” I laughed, looking away from him back to the sea. “N-no! It’s just….. I don’t think I’m the strongest in the team, not physically anyways,” he also glanced back the murky depths. “That would be Raphael.” “Mmmmmm,” I thought for a moment, my eyes blinking at him from their corners. “Maybe physically but your true strength is your character, I believe. That’s what your master seems to mean to me.” “You think so?” Leonardo blinked at me, grinning a little. I looked at him; he looked like a child. And it made me smile. “I do.” This seemed to please him; he blushed furiously again anyways, looking away in a show of shyness. 

“Hey, can I ask you something?” “Y-yeah, sure! Anything.” “If you’re supposed to be searching for your brothers right now, then why did you come to my area of the city? Unless they’re nearby.” “Uh……” Leonardo hesitated, not sure how to answer my question. He didn’t want to sound like some stocker, but he didn’t want to lie to me either. He decided to try the honest route, but in a non-creepy way. “Actually, I was in the neighbourhood and wanted to see your building. I guess, I was thinking about you,” he answered honestly. “I-it’s not every night that you go to a different country with a girl!” The blue-masked turtle quickly added when I didn’t say anything. “That’s fair,” he let out a little sigh of relief when I started talking. “It’s not every night I get such a trustworthy escort to Paris.” “Uh, wouldn’t it be more appropriate for you to say that it’s not every night you meet a giant, mutant turtle?” He countered, lifting an eyebrow. I blinked at him, a bit taken back until a small, tender grin lift my lips. “You may be a turtle, but you’re my friend first and foremost.” 

“R-really?!” Leonardo gasped in pure astonishment, blinking at me several times like he wasn’t sure that I was real in that moment. I nodded softly. “I have nothing to gain from lying to you. Yes, really.” “Oh…….” His eyes scrolled down as if embarrassed that he doubted me, but he didn’t blush. To my surprise, he chuckled to himself and looked back up to me with wide, trusting eyes a few seconds later. “Heh, you know somethin’, Eros? You’re the first person I’ve met who made me forget that I’m a mutant turtle.” My eyes grew a little as he reached down to rest one of his large, three-fingered hands overtop mine with the upmost gentleness. “I don’t feel like a freak of nature when I’m with you.” Instead of admonishing him for calling himself such a vulgar name, I simply smiled and let my hand rest under his. In the calmest, most sincere voice possible, I said: “that’s because you’re not.” 

We sat there, smiling at each other quietly for a moment that was much too short in his opinion. But the calm silence of the night was interrupted by the sound of a loud, unfamiliar voice to my ears. “Leo!” Leonardo immediately retracted his hand as we both spun our heads over our shoulders to see another turtle, this one in red-mask, standing on the opposite side of my roof. Leonardo’s expression was a mix of shock and dread; his sapphire blue eyes were huge and locked on the intruder. I glanced from him to the other turtle confused. The new arrival was shorter than Leonardo but more muscular; he had a pair of combat blades strapped to the back of his shell. What happened next took place within the next thirty seconds or so. 

“Wha-?!” The red-masked turtle gasped dumbfounded. “What are you doing?! Who’s she?!” His big, green finger pointed at me. Leonardo got up and tried not to look so flustered. He reminded me of a primary boy getting caught behind the school building with his first crush, which is how it must have felt to him. “Uh, um, uh, Raph, Eros- Eros, Raph.” “Wha-….. What are you? “Friends” with her?” Raphael approached his brother, completely ignoring my person standing behind Leonardo. “We’re out there risking our necks and you’re up here, holding hands with some random girl!” “Holding hands?” I raised an eyebrow, unimpressed by the familiarities he was implying. “I-I can explain!” Leonardo quickly stated, bringing his hands up in the air submissively. 

“Is this Raphael?” I pointed at the angry-looking turtle. “Uh, yeah,” Leonardo addressed me before turning back to his younger brother. “Wait, are you going to tell him about earlier? Should I give you some privacy?” I offered before he could start. “N-no, it’s ok. Uh, you see, Raph, Eros and I met earlier tonight after I left you guys and uh, well, we sort of....... went…… somewhere together, and um……” 

The very unimpressed glare that Raphael was giving Leonardo was interrupted when suddenly this massive green-yellowish monster scaled the side of my building. It was this tall, thin, mantis-looking creature with Venus-Fly-Traps for hands. Tentacles in the shape of vines came off from its stocky figure and it had these putrid yellow eyes with deep red pupils. Two long green and red antenna stuck out from the top of its head, right behind the eyes. “I found you, turtles,” it hissed in this disgusting, gargle tone. 

Before I had time to scream, Leonardo rushed in front of me, stationing himself between me and the monster. “Leonardo!” I cried as it raised its long, gangly arm high in the air. “Look out!” Leonardo moved me to the door, getting out of harm’s way from the oncoming attack. “Eros, listen to me!” I flinched when he grabbed me by the shoulders, holding me steady in front of him. His eyes were locked onto mine. “Get out of the city! It’s not safe for you to go back inside. Leave the city and don’t come back for hour or so, ok?” He seemed so sincere that I felt compelled to listen to him. “O-ok, but what about you and Raphael?” I nodded my head in a fast motion then looked up into his eyes. “We’ll be fine. Promise me you won’t come back for an hour.” “I promise!” Then Leonardo smiled, pleased with my unquestioning adherence to his orders. It’s not that he expected me to be a mindless doll, ready to do whatever he told me, but he wanted nothing more than to keep me out of harm’s way. My obedience in this circumstance made it all the easier for him. And he rather liked being listened to for a change. 

With one last look, Leonardo turned to pull out his swords. “Go now!” “Alright! Please be careful and look after Raphael!” I said before opening “the door” and slipping inside. Leonardo waited until it was securely shut, then he joined his brother in the battle against Snakeweed. Raphael wanted to shout that he didn’t need Leonardo’s protection but lost the chance when the door slammed shut. The blue-masked turtle joined in on the fight that Raphael was currently engaged in. The younger looked to the elder in a panic when he arrived. “All is forgiven! You’re the leader again! Welcome back!” 

The fight was violent but brief. Leonardo paused once to glance at the door when he thought he heard the sound of the doorknob turning, but it was a false alarm and he was soon back into the fight with full force. Raphael didn’t address it at the time, but he did notice his brother’s distracted senses the whole time. Some good did come from the situation though; it gave both turtles a chance to blow off any leftover steam they might have had. When it was done, Raphael and Leonardo were both panting as they stood over their conquered foe victorious. Then, surprisingly, they smiled. “Nice work,” Raphael turned to look at Leonardo. “Thanks,” Leonardo met his gaze. “Good to be back.” “And uh…….” Raphael’s head spun away as his grin faded. “Sorry,” his lips whispered, and he peered at the blue-masked turtle from the corner of his eye. Leonardo, feeling in a playful mood, placed his hand up to his ear, widening his grin. “What’d you say? I couldn’t hear.” Raphael frowned, already tired of his eldest brother’s teasing. “I said I’m SORRY!” He shouted “sorry” at the top of his lungs, giving Leonardo’s eardrums a good raddling. He placed his hand on his ear and was sorry he ever bothered trying to be humorous with the ill-tempered turtle. “Apology accepted.” 

Back at the lair, the three brothers stood over their unconscious little brother. Leonardo held out a slice of pepperoni pizza, waving it in front of Michelangelo’s mouth. His nostrils began to flare as a satisfied grin peered across his lips. “Mmmmm,” his baby-blue eyes blinked opened, his hands lifted up to the slice. “Pepperoni.” “Works every time,” Leonardo started bringing the slice back. Before Michelangelo could grab it, Raphael cut in, taking him by the shoulders. “Mikey! Don’t scare me like that, buddy!” He said, shaking him a couple of times then pulling him in for a hug. “I thought we lost you!” Raphael said in a relieved voice, pulling him back and still grasping him by the shoulders. 

“Dudes,” Michelangelo said in a soft, tired tone. His eyes were droopy, and he didn’t look fully awake yet. “I had the weirdest dream. I dreamt the stuff in the sewer was made out of-.” “Er, forget about it, Mikey!” Donatello quickly cut in him off. “It was just a dream,” he gave Leonardo a look, pressing his fingers to his lips in a signal to keep quiet about the matter. Michelangelo wasn’t paying attention by now, taking the pizza slice from Leonardo’s hand and gobbling it up happily. While he was busy with that, Raphael silently took hold of Leonardo’s arm and led him to the other side of the living room, where they others wouldn’t hear. 

“So, what’s with the girl you were holding hands with earlier?” Raphael asked in a half-whisper. Leonardo sighed, shaking his head lightly. “We weren’t holding hands. We were just…… talking.” “Oh really? About what?” “Uh, y-you know, stuff,” Leonardo shrugged. “May I remind you that she’s a human.” “We’re friends with humans!” Leonardo countered. “We’re friends with a human, and we can trust April.” “I can trust Eros too.” “She’s a human, Leo,” Raphael crossed his arms over his shell. “She’s my friend first and foremost,” Leonardo’s gaze softened as if remembering something nice. Raphael huffed as Leonardo brushed passed him. As the others watched him walk away confusedly, Leonardo pulled out the posy he still carried around in his pouch. Carefully holding it, Leonardo smiled down as he stared at the foreign flowers. He didn’t have it in him to leave the lair without it ever again.


	2. Secret

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leonardo struggles to keep you his little secret from the rest of the team, especially Raphael. But all that changes when the Kraang attack the university and the turtles come to the rescue. Unfortunately, it is you who saves the youngest brother, Michelangelo.

“I don’t know about this.” “You won’t regret it; trust me.” Leonardo glanced wearily from me to the cardboard basket in front of him. He picked up the food-stuff with the little wooden fork that had been provided and slowly popped it into his mouth. I smiled as his face lit up in delight. “Wow!” The blue-masked turtle exclaimed once he swallowed. “This is amazing!” “Isn’t it though? I knew you would like it,” I bit at my own food. “Who knew deep-fried sausage would be this good!?” “Now you do,” I answered with a playful grin in his direction. He responded by mirroring my expression. “Thanks, Eros.” “Mmmm? For what?” “Oh, you know,” his shoulders gave a small shrug. “For everything.” “Well, you are most welcome, Leonardo.” After looking at each other for another brief second, we turned to glance out at the little circular city of York in Mercia, East Angelia. 

“Help! Help! I’ve been taken hostage by this evil dragon! Oh, who will save this damsel-in-distress? Help! Please help me!” I called up from one of the tall towers of the city walls. When it was dark enough and the old wall surrounding the city centre was closed, we went to walk along it and play for a while. “Have no fear! It is I- Sir Leonardo the Sword-Wielder!” “Sir Leonardo the Valiant,” I corrected. He smiled up at me from the bottom of the wall. “It is I- Sir Leonardo the Valiant- here to recuse you, princess!” “Oh!” I swooned from my tower. “My knight has come for me!” Leonardo started scaling up the side of the wall until I let out a loud gasp, pointing sharply behind him. 

“Look out, Sir Leonardo! The dragon is right behind you!” Leonardo hopped back down, pulling out both of his swords. “Oh guard, vile serpent! You shall not have the fair damsel!” “Be careful, brave knight!” I called up from my tower, waving my hand daintily. “Oh guard!” He began slicing at nothing in the air, pretending to slay a fire-breathing dragon. “Take that, and that!” After a few minutes of massacring the imaginary beast, Leonardo climbed up the wall and came into my tower. “I have slayed the dragon for you, princess! You are safe now!” “My hero!” My hands clasped together. Leonardo stood tall and proud with his arms folded but inside, he was blushing so hard that he worried his cheeks might pinken. We glanced at each other and burst out laughing. 

I opened “the door” back to my apartment and we stepped through to the other side. “I gotta say,” Leonardo stretched his arms up, spinning back to face me. “I think York is one of my favorite places we’ve been to. Paris is my top, but York makes a good second.” “I’m glad you liked it. York is my most favorite place.” “I can see why. That was fun, walking along the city wall.” I laughed. “You mean before or after you recused me from the dragon’s clutches?” He also laughed. “I’ve never recused a damsel before. That was a lot of fun too.” “You’re good at it,” I said, making him blink at me with a slightly embarrassed expression. “Well thanks…… You’re good at it too. At playing dragons and damsels, I mean!” “Haha, good! It’s nice to know that I make a good damsel-in-distress, especially when I know that you’re the gallant knight who’s going to save me.” “At your service, malady!” He bowed, and I laughed. 

All of Leonardo’s younger brothers had noticed a change in their leader in the past week. He seemed more out-of-it; more spaced out. There were times that they would catch him staring off into nowhere or sighing to himself for no reason. Leonardo seemed distracted, which was highly unusual for him. And another thing, he seemed happier. Since that night early that week, he hadn’t fought with Raphael. He was calmer, more content it seemed. Sometimes they wouldn’t see him for hours on end; he wasn’t gone long enough for them to worry but just enough for them to notice. 

While Michelangelo and Donatello had no clue what to make of it, Raphael grew more and more suspicious. He didn’t trust me, just like how he was wary of all humans they didn’t know- basically excluding everyone except April. She noticed the change in Leonardo’s demeaner but knew exactly what was going on, minus the details of going abroad. She also thought that it was great fun that his two youngest brothers didn’t know anything about it, or rather me. It was officially a “secret romance” in her eyes, though Leonardo never mentioned liking me to her. His behavior was enough to incriminate him in her opinion. Leonardo was experiencing something new and wonderful according to April, and judging by the way he actually felt, he was inclined to agree with her. 

But like all great secrets, our could not stay so forever. Cracks began to emerge one night when Leonardo was out on patrol with his brothers. I was standing on my rooftop, watching the stars while waiting for Leonardo. We planned to visit Malaga tonight and we were going to meet at our usual place- on top of my building. I had some time to kill before he was due, so I decided to get there early and stargaze. My eyes grew at the sound of yelling and blasting from in the distance. Looking behind, I saw not two but four ninja turtles fighting with some weird talking robots. Huh, I thought watching from a safe gap between us. I recognized one of them to be Raphael, the brother I met the same night as Leonardo; that must mean that the other two are his other brothers. I couldn’t remember their names right now. 

Leonardo paused after defeating one of the robots with a weird, pink, brain thing in it. As if to sense that I was watching, he turned to look up at me, surprised to see me at first. Then his mouth gave the cutest grin. I think what happened next was a mix of his trying to protect me, albeit from afar, and the opportunity for him to show off his impressive combat skills. I had never seen him actually fight before now and he wanted to make an impression. Still smiling, he went to his brothers’ “aid”. 

“I’ll save you, Raph!” Leonardo announced, getting in between the red-masked turtle and one of the robots. The look on Raphael’s face was priceless; so much that I had to hide my grin with my hand. From what I’d seen of him and Leonardo’s told me thus far, it was amusing to watch such a prideful turtle get “saved” like that. “You’ll save……?!” Raphael gasped as Leonardo sliced the robot in two and went on to the turtle with the orange-mask’s help. He looked just as surprised as Raphael, though not in an angry way. “Relax, Mikey!” Mikey, my head nodded slightly. So he must be Michelangelo then; I gotta remember that. “You’re safe now!” He announced, making me giggle. I couldn’t help it- all his brothers looked so confused. “Thanks!” Michelangelo said before realizing what just happened. “Wait, I was fine,” he frowned at their leader, who wasn’t paying attention. Leonardo must have felt he was doing a good job because he glanced up to check if I was watching. When he saw that I was, he continued, earning a harsh glare from Raphael in the process.  
The last to “save” was Donatello, who I guessed was named that after Leonardo called at him. “Donnie, behind you!” The purple-masked turtle immediately looked over his shoulder to find nothing. “The wall?” He asked confusedly. When he turned back, Leonardo had already taken out the two robots accosting him. Wearing the same smile, he flipped back to the front of the alley and put his swords away, making sure to stand in hero’s pose. His brothers were definitely not impressed but I certainly was. Who cares if he was showing off? Leonardo was a skilled fighter and I knew that without a doubt now. The problem happened when he glanced up to see me one last time. I smiled down at him, giving him a little wave. Raphael noticed Leonardo wave back, motioning for me to go back inside. Nodding, I did as I was told and went to leave the rooftop. Raphael looked up from the corner of his eye just in time to see me walk away. He saw me, but he didn’t say anything; right then anyways. 

“Um, what the heck was that?” Donatello asked as the three stood in front of their leader. “Yeah, you trying to impress us?” Michelangelo asked, pushing past Raphael and Donatello. Leonardo’s eyes grew as he threw himself onto his brother in a hug. “Cause it totally worked!” Raphael frowned, looking back up at the rooftop from the corner of his eye. Donatello noticed it this time. “What is it, Raph?” “I thought I saw something. What about you, Leo?” Raphael walked over to a now concerned-looking Leonardo. “Did you see something?” “No,” he answered without hesitation. Raphael just stared at him for a moment with his arms crossed over his shell. Finally, he asked: “turtles first, right?” Leonardo took in a deep breath. “Turtles first,” he said, though he matched Raphael’s harsh glare by now. His big, green hands rolled into fists. Michelangelo and Donatello felt the change in atmosphere as Michelangelo slid over to the purple-masked turtle’s side. “You feel like we’re missing something?” Donatello asked him. “All the time,” Michelangelo responded before looking back at his very tense older brothers. 

Leonardo was in a bad mood the next day. He hadn’t had a change to come see me as we planned; Raphael was practically glued to his side for the rest of the night. Leonardo couldn’t even text or call me to say that he wouldn’t be coming since he didn’t have my number. He knew I would understand, and I did, but it bothered him nonetheless. It didn’t help either that the tension between him and Raphael was at an all-time high. He was almost relieved when Raphael suggested that they spar together; it was a convenient excuse to give his brother a good beating. Unfortunately, Raphael must have had the same idea in mind. 

Once in the dojo and alone, the two brothers didn’t hesitate to go at it. Raphael was especially miffed. “You knew she was watching us!” He growled. “Her name isn’t “she”; it’s Eros!” “Fine!” Raphael managed to shackle Leonardo’s swords in his sai. “You knew “Eros” was watching and all you did was show off.” Growling, Leonardo threw his brother behind him. “She had never seen me fight before! I was demonstrating how…… formidable we are.” “Why do you even care?! She’s a human! Which means that she’s off-limits. You know she can’t be trusted!” “No! You’re wrong about Eros! She’s not our enemy! Not all humans are against us, you know!” 

“Oh yeah? Well if that’s what you’re doing, why don’t you go tell the others?” “B-because they wouldn’t understand……” Enraged, Raphael threw Leonardo against the back wall and pinned him there with his arm. The brothers glared venom at each other. “You really think Mikey and Donnie wouldn’t understand?” He glanced to the side for a second. “You really think Donnie wouldn’t understand?” “Look!” Leonardo had had enough interrogation. “I know what I’m doing!” With one swift punch, Raphael was across the room. The red-masked turtle retaliated by lunging at his brother. After a minute of fighting, Leonardo managed to get Raphael in a headlock. “You have to trust me!” “Why should I?!” 

“What is going on in here?!” Both turtles blinked up to see a stern Splinter standing before them. Leonardo let Raphael go and they rose to their feet. “Uh, nothing important! Right, Raph?” Leonardo sent Raphael a pleading glare. Raphael looked away, crossing his arms angrily. But after a second, he sighed. “Right.” He made sure to shove Leonardo’s shoulder on the way out of the dojo. 

I was in my kitchen making tea when Leonardo crept through my window. “Leonardo!” I exclaimed happily, turning to see him. “Hi, Eros,” he gave me a small wave, looking rather embarrassed. “Sorry about last night. I…… couldn’t manage to get away.” “I had a feeling it was something like that. Don’t worry, I understand.” “You do?” His eyes shot up at me in delighted surprise. “Of course. After all, you are a vigilante and protector of our city,” I sent him a playful, glorious smile. “Ah,” Leonardo shrugged, walking over to my couch and plopping down onto it. “You were bound to see us in action sooner or later,” his hand waved in the air. 

“And you are a marvellous fighter,” I brought him a cup of tea. “Thanks,” Leonardo blushed, taking it from my hand. “I’d never seen anyone fight quite like you guys before. But then, I didn’t know our city was invested with scary talking robots,” I joined him on the couch. “What are they? Can you tell me about them?” “I can’t tell you much other than they’re incredibly dangerous. Stay away from them.” “Ok, I can do that,” I nodded, and Leonardo relaxed. “But….. is it safe for you to be fighting them then?” “Heck yeah! You saw me….. I mean us last night. We can handle those guys.” “Yes,” I smiled, nodding my head again. “I know you can.” Something about this made Leonardo’s stomach swell up with butterflies. They felt like they were going to fly up his throat they were fluttering so much. 

We looked at each other for another minute before Leonardo sighed contently, resting his arms up behind him along the couch and grinning to himself. “You know something, Eros? I’ve never met anyone as easy to be around as you.” “Really?” It was my turn to blush. “Yeah. It’s just calm being with you. You make me calm, I guess is what I mean. Not like my brothers,” Leonardo’s grin began to fade as he glanced thoughtfully out of the window. “Mikey’s annoying, Donnie’s too into his science, and Raph…… ugh, he’s the most infuriating of them all. Don’t get me wrong, I love them with all my heart but…… they just don’t understand.” “Is…… is this about last night?” I ventured asking. Leonardo nodded, his eyes rolling down a tad. 

“Yeah, we had yet another fight. Raphael says I can’t trust you.” “Mmmm,” I shrugged. “He makes a good point.” I continued quickly at the astonished look Leonardo shot me. “You’ve survived this long because you haven’t trusted humans. I don’t blame you; I still don’t trust human men and it’s been years,” I glanced down with what looked to be sad eyes. I kept talking before Leonardo could ask what I meant. “It’s the only way someone like Raphael knows how to live- by not trusting outsiders. It’s not his, or yours, or anyone’s fault; it’s just the way it is. I know that it must be scary, introducing humans into your world after all this time; of course, there’s going to be some resistance.” “E-Eros…….” Leonardo gaped. 

“But, it’s just……. I’m just happy you told me.” “What?!” Leonardo perked up startled. “Why?” “Maybe happy is not the right word; thankful, I mean. Thanks for telling me,” I smiled gently at him. “W-why? Why would you thank me for that?” The blue-masked turtle was genuinely confused. “I feel I understand Raphael and even you better now. I don’t take his mistrusting me personally. More than anything, I want both of you to feel comfortable, to be comfortable and if keeping me at arms-length makes him so, then I’m ok with it.” “Eros!” Leonardo blinked at me in amazement. “In return, I am most comfortable knowing that you’re here, in the city, keeping me safe,” I smiled at him. “R-really?” He asked, and I nodded. “You will…… keep me safe from those robots, won’t you?” 

Leonardo felt something bloom inside of him that was totally new, totally foreign. It resembled the feeling from the night that we went to Paris together. It felt so……. so……. “Yeah,” Leonardo placed his large hand over top of mine, making us both blush furiously. “I will keep you safe, I promise.” And then I smiled, which he didn’t mirror. “It’s weird. I’ve never felt this way before,” he finally gasped, not taking his eyes off mine. “What way?” “This feels……” His eyes lowered in the softest way possible. “This feels so……. natural.” 

It felt natural for both of us. But we learned what that feeling costed us later that week. Raphael and Leonardo hadn’t spoken in two days. When Leonardo returned from one of our adventures that night, Raphael decided that enough was enough. “So?” He trailed up behind his eldest brother as they walked down the hallway. “Are you gonna tell the guys about her?” “No need,” Leonardo answered definitively. “We…… had a little chat and she knows and respects your feelings.” “My feelings!?” “That you don’t trust her.” “You shouldn’t be trusting her either, bro!” 

“Look, Raph. You don’t need to worry about her; none of you do. She’s gonna leave you alone.” “Oh yeah, cause human girls always back off when you tell them too. Maybe I’ll text the Kraang and ask them to stop mutating stuff too.” “Ero’s is not your problem, Raph; she’s not anyone’s problem! You don’t have to have anything to do with her,” Leonardo narrowed his eyes onto his brother. “Oh, I see. So she’s gonna leave everyone except you alone, is that it?” Raphael crossed his arms. “I’m not the one with the issue here, Raph,” Leonardo fired sharply. “Dude, if she knows about us, then that is our issue. “No, it’s not! None of you have to get involved. She’s mine!” 

Raphael’s eyes grew, and Leonardo blinked as he came to realize what he had just said. “She’s my….. friend; my human friend…… Eros is my friend; just my friend.” “Dude,” Raphael blinked at him incredulously. “Don’t tell you me you actually dig this chick?” “No!” Leonardo’s head shot over to his. “Seriously, Leo? A human? Hasn’t watching Donnie and April taught you anything? Humans and giant, green, mutant turtles don’t mix,” Raphael wasn’t buying it. “I-I never said I liked her! And she’s nothing like April; it’s not an accurate comparison.” 

“Wait,” Raphael was starting to put the pieces together. “Are you…… not telling the others because you want to keep her for yourself? Is that it?” “What?! You’re insane! I’m the team’s leader! It’s my job to keep you guys safe.” “Is it also your job to keep a secret girlfriend on the side, who also happens to be a human?” Raphael crossed his arms. “She’s not my girlfriend!” Leonardo retorted quickly. “Oh? Good. Then you won’t mind introducing us to her, if we can trust her like you say,” Raphael smirked in victory. 

Leonardo glared bullets at his younger brother. He had this overwhelming urge to wipe that smirk off his brother’s face- permanently. But the blue-masked turtle simply sighed, knowing he was defeated. If he lashed out at Raphael now, he would only prove Raphael’s point. Instead of giving his brother and rival the satisfaction though, Leonardo decided to spin his defeat in his own way, robbing Raphael of all glory. “Like I said, Raph. It’s my job to keep the team safe. You guys will meet her when I decide the team and Eros are ready. This is new for her too; I have to guide her through this as well as you guys.” “Guide her?” Raphael was clearly upset by this answer but chose not to give in. He chuckled darkly. “Last I checked, you’re our leader- not hers.” “Maybe,” Leonardo glanced away intently. “But I’m her friend, and unlike you, she trusts me.” Feeling that was a good place to stop, Leonardo made his way into the kitchen, followed immediately by Raphael. 

“Ok, guys, what do you want?!” Michelangelo asked rummaging through the fridge. “Omelette pizza or pizza omelette?” “What’s the difference?” Raphael was unimpressed. “Ok!” The orange-masked turtle pulled out a bowl of eggs. “You called my bluff.” Before any of the others could say something, all their phones beeped from a new text message. “Hey, did you guys just get a mass text from April?” Donatello asked. “Yep.” “Does yours also say that the Kraang are attacking UofE’s main campus building downtown?” “Uh huh.” “Is that considered an emergency?” “I……” 

Leonardo’s sentence was cut off when he remembered that that was my school. “Eros…..!” He whispered to himself as his eyes grew large in fear. That’s her school, and if she’s at the building……. Eros may be in dangerous. And I don’t have her number to warn her either! That was enough for Leonardo. His brothers watched as his demeaner instantly changed. “Who?” Donatello raised an eyebrow. His question was completely ignored as Leonardo dashed for the exit. “Let’s go! Now!” “Leo, whoa Leo! What’s wrong?!” He hollered as the three brothers ran after him. 

To the younger turtles’ astonishment, Leonardo did not stop running until he was at the school. The campus has empty, which Leonardo wasn’t sure was a good sign or not. While he entered quickly yet cautiously, Michelangelo was the only one who seemed excited. “Sweet!” His eyes widened, and a grin spread across his face. “So this is what school’s like!” Leonardo let out a small sigh of relief when he saw that no one was around. “Alright, what’s the plan, boss?” Raphael whispered over to him. “Split up! They’re probably still in the classrooms or something. Donnie, you take the upstairs; Mikey, the main foyer and dining hall; Raph and I will take the basement.” They all nodded and went in their separate directions. 

Michelangelo was super happy to be given what he considered the most exciting, not to mention open, part of campus. He walked through, num-chuks in hand, with a wide grin on his face. He loved the layout of dining hall and grand foyer, especially considering it was in a castle and looked like Hogwarts. “This is awesome!” The eager turtle exclaimed, standing in the middle of the dining hall, in between rows of old, wooden tables and benches. After pretending he was a wizard for a while, he suddenly froze when a crack from around the bend made him remember that there were Kraang around. “H-hello?” His voice shook as he held out his weapon. “W-who’s there? Show yourself!” 

“Oh, Leonardo!” I turned a corner into the great dining hall, where I had left some papers from earlier. The campus had been evacuated, which I had no knowledge of since I was at home at the time of evacuation. I opened “the door” into the hallway outside the dining hall. The place was deserted but that was no surprise for this time of night. I was just going to grab my papers and head back when I saw Leonardo standing there at the centre of the room. He looked happy, though I didn’t realize my mistake yet. “What are you doing at my campus, love? I thought you……..” The confused turtle’s expression made me pause for a moment. “Leonardo?” 

“You know my bro? Hey, wait; who are you?!” Michelangelo stuck his finger at me with his mouth hanging open. “Ah yes……..” I blinked remembering his name. “You’re Michelangelo, the youngest. Yes, I saw you fighting robots the other night.” “You….. you know my name?!” His mouth dropped in disbelief. “Yes? Don’t you know mine?” “No? I mean no! Wait, wait, hold on! How do you know me again?!” “Are your brothers here too? Is Leonardo here?” I glanced around curiously. “Yes! No, wait! Listen, lady!” Michelangelo took hold of my arm, making me flinch in surprise. “You need to get out of here! There some Kraang and…….!” 

Before Michelangelo could finish his sentence, a loud blast echoed through the dining hall. We both turned to see a bunch of robots, the same from the previous night, standing at the other entrance. They were armed and looking directly at us. “Oh boy,” I heard Michelangelo say to himself. “The Kraang has located the one called the turtle in the place known as the dining hall. The turtle is with unidentified, unarmed, human girl.” “A-are those the same robots from the other night?” I asked Michelangelo afraid. “You mean the Kraang? Yeah, they’re the same.” “Kill the turtle and human girl with the turtle!” One of the Kraang ordered. “Not a chance, freaks!” Michelangelo got ready for battle. 

“Mikey!” We all looked over to see Leonardo suddenly burst through one of the small side doors. “Leo!” “Leonardo!” We exclaimed in relief. His eyes grew huge when he saw me standing there with Michelangelo. “Eros?” Michelangelo blinked in surprise as his eldest brother came straight to my side with a worried expression. “Eros! Are you alright? What are you doing here?” “I-I came to get my papers from the…… from the hall!” “The school is on lock-down; didn’t you know?!” “N-no? I used “the door”.” Leonardo sighed, ironically in relief and concern at once. “Get out of here! Leave now!” “Ok, but……!”  
“Shoot them!” The Kraang shouted and we turned back at them. Leonardo stood in front of me, brandishing his swords. “Ready, Mikey?!” “You know it, bro!” I made a dash for the door while they dealt with the Kraang on the other side. Looking from behind me to the hallway, I stopped and gawked with wide eyes. My scream echoed through the building, causing Leonardo to look back in alarm. I stumbled back into the dining hall, walking backwards with my eyes glued onto this huge, weird monster in front of me. It had large tentacles, two eyes at the end of long, thin strands, and a wide, hideous, dark mouth. “How the heck am I ever going to name this?” I heard Michelangelo call from behind. 

The Kraang wasted no time shooting their lazar canyons at the creature. “Eros, get down!” Leonardo yelled, running over to stand over me, stationing himself in between the monster and me. “What the heck is that thing?!” We heard others shout as they ran into the room. I looked to see Raphael and Donatello there, fighting the Kraang robots and seeming rather confused. “What the……?!” Raphael’s eyes grew when he spotted me. “Raph, look! There’s a girl!” “Her?! What’s she doing here?!” Raphael demanded as loud as he could at the moment. “One of you guys, get Eros out of here, now!” Leonardo ignored his brother’s question, issuing an order instead. “On it bro!” Michelangelo reached under to grab hold my arm. “Leonardo!” I cried as the youngest brother proceeded to drag me to the side of the room. “Just go! I’ll be fine!” Leonardo called back to me. “Don’t worry, miss! I’ll get you out of here safely!” 

But before we could go any further, the monster blocked our way with its thick, long tongue. I screamed and even Michelangelo looked startled. “Watch out!” Michelangelo shoved me out of the way as he was smacked harshly against the side wall. “Mikey!” Raphael shrieked in terror. I ran over to him, scanning his body over. He was knocked out cold, with bruises already starting to form everywhere. “Michelangelo!” I gasped. Then an idea came to me. There was a nearby door to the kitchen I could use, and it was close enough for me to drag him to. 

“Leonardo!” I called out to the eldest turtle, who was still busy fighting robots. “I’ll take him back to my place! We’re leaving!” “Ok! We’ll meet you there!” He didn’t hesitate to agree, alarming the others. Leonardo held off the monster and robots while I dragged Michelangelo’s unconscious body to the open kitchen door. He was heavier than he looked, so it took longer than I’d wanted. But when we finally got there, I ran up to the door, shut it and opened “the door” to my apartment. As quickly as possible, I dragged Michelangelo inside, closing “the door” while he was still laying on the ground. 

Once inside, I managed to get Michelangelo up onto the couch where I inspected his injuries. My eyes winced shut as I came to a decision after assessing his wounds. He saved my life so it’s fair, though I doubt Leonardo would see it that way. Either way, I was going to do it; I had already made up my mind. 

Michelangelo’s eyes fluttered open, finding himself staring up at an unfamiliar ceiling. With a big yawn and stretch of the arms, he sat up and gave his head a shake. Huh, it was weird. The last thing he remembered was getting knocked out by that huge, monster thing. But he felt better than ever now- no concussion or broken bones. He gave his body an internal once-over before noticing that he was somewhere he’d never been before. The orange-masked turtle deduced that he was in an apartment- who’s he did not know. Nor had he any clue how he got there. His brothers probably carried him, but they were nowhere to be seen. 

“Hello? Anyone here?” Michelangelo hopped to his feet. He took two steps before he bumped into something soft with his foot. Glancing down, he saw me laying there unconscious. My face was pressed into the floor and my hair was spread out all over me like I had fallen suddenly. “Whoa!” Michelangelo immediately scooped me up into his arms. A sick feeling rose in his stomach when he saw that it was the same girl from the dining hall earlier. What was scarier was the fact that I had all the same injuries as he attained fighting the mutant creature. 

“No, no, no!” Michelangelo filled me onto the couch, scanning my body repeatedly over for any signs of bleeding. “Wake up, miss! You gotta wake up! Come on, wake up!” He had to stop himself from shaking me. “Ok, Mikey! Think, think! What would Donnie do?!” An idea popped into his head. “I’ll call him! He’ll know!” As he pulled out his phone, the window slid open. Michelangelo looked to see his three brothers climb through it. They were busy arguing amongst themselves. “Tell me again how you know this woman?” “For the thousandth time, she’s a friend!” “That doesn’t explain why you her take him!” They all froze when they saw their youngest brother sitting on the edge of the couch, conscious and intact. 

“Mikey!” They all exclaimed in shock and relief. “You’re alright!” “Donnie! Thank goodness you’re here! Come here!” Michelangelo wasted no time grabbing hold of his arm and dragging him to the couch. “Ow! What are you……?” He stopped when he the others saw me. Raphael’s eyes were wide enough, but he slowly gazed over to their leader, who stared down at me in pure shock. Leonardo’s eyes were as big as they could get, his breath stilled in the back of his throat, all his muscle froze in place. While his brothers freaked out, the world grew numb to Leonardo; soundless, still…… He felt like he was sinking. He knew that he wasn’t but that’s how it felt. Sinking, drowning…… and it was horrible. 

“W-what happened?!” Donatello asked, kneeling down beside my head. “Isn’t this the girl from the school? The one who brought you here?” “Yeah! I don’t know what happened! I woke up and felt totally better! But she was here laying on the floor unconscious! I have no clue why!” “She might have a head injury,” Donatello inspected my head carefully. “Is she gonna be ok?!” Michelangelo asked terrified. “I don’t know. We have to wake her up as soon as possible. Uh, her vitals seem to be stable,” Donatello checked my pulse before snapping his fingers in front of my face. “Ma’am, ma’am, can you hear me? Do you know what city you’re in? Do you know where you are?” “Why are you asking her that?” Michelangelo asked. “To check if she as a concussion, genius,” Donatello answered in an exasperated tone. 

I groaned a little, waking up at the loud sounds near my head. “M-Mich……. Michelangelo……” My lips uttered, my eyes still shut. “Right here,” Michelangelo took hold of my hand in both of his. “I don’t get it,” Raphael finally spoke, feeling suffocated from the dread radiating off Leonardo, who still hadn’t moved or said a word since he saw me. “How did she get hurt? And you’re not? You were whacked pretty hard back there.” “I took…….” I spoke softly, still not opening my eyes. “I took it from him……..” I managed to get out, taking deep breaths in between the words. They all looked at me confused and alarmed. “Took…… what from him?” Donatello ventured to ask. “His injuries……” I said in the smallest voice. “Michelangelo’s injuries.” 

Raphael watched as Leonardo’s eyes darkened. “Leo……” He began as his brother suddenly pushed past him. He and the others watched as he went out of the window. The blue-masked turtle climbed up to the rooftop. Once there, he stared out at the water like we had done so many times. His breathing was slow and steady, his hands in tight fists. He felt the blood rushing to his head and for a moment, he really thought that he would burst out into tears. The sound of a familiar voice didn’t even make him flinch. 

“Leo,” the eldest turtle didn’t turn around to meet his brother’s soften gaze. “It’s my fault……” He said in the most pained voice Raphael had ever heard. “It’s not your fault.” “I should have gotten her away. I should have helped her get away faster. This is all my fault.” “No, it’s not, Leo,” Raphael stepped forward. “You didn’t know, and you couldn’t stop her for doing it.” “You don’t get it!” Leonardo snapped, his eyes turning red. 

“I told her I would keep her safe! I promised!” Leonardo’s head shot over to Raphael, giving him a desperate expression. “She was never supposed to get hurt because of us, because of me! I should have protected her! I should have been there to stop her, but I didn’t! It’s gonna take her a lot longer to heal than it would for Mikey! And I didn’t……..” Leonardo’s eyes started rolling down as his lip quivered. “I promised……. Raph, I promised to keep her safe, and I didn’t. I couldn’t…….” 

Raphael waited a long time before saying anything. “I was wrong,” Leonardo did flinch when he finally spoke, glancing up to his younger brother. Raphael walked over to stand right beside Leonardo, overlooking the sea. “I was wrong, and you were right.” “About what?” “About her, and about trusting her. I was wrong to judge her purely on the fact that she’s a human. I could have…… at least met her before I decided not to trust her,” Raphael gave a small smirk which Leonardo did not mirror. “She will survive.” “This will never happen to her again. I don’t care if our friendship has to end. If it means she safe, its over today.” 

Raphael looked at his brother for a minute and shrugged. “Eh, you might want to wait a little while before pulling the plug on the whole thing.” “Why?” This genuinely surprised Leonardo, who blinked at him with a puzzled expression. Raphael grinned at him kindly; something he rarely did to his eldest brother. “Because, she obviously cares about us. And how are you going to drag those two away from her now, particularly Mikey? You know how attached he gets.” Leonardo finally let out the smallest of grins, glancing back that the coast. “Don’t worry about Eros, Leo. She’ll be fine.” “I do worry, Raph,” his small grin began to fade. “I can’t help it, I just do. Whenever I’m with her, whenever I look at her…… I just….. worry.” “Heh, that sounds horrible,” Raphael tried to joke. “It’s not,” Leonardo sighed- a reaction Raphael was not expecting. 

“Well, at least you don’t have to worry about something like this ever happening again,” Raphael sighed himself. “How do you know?” Leonardo asked him. “Cause I won’t let it.” This definitely surprised Leonardo, who didn’t say anything but just looked at his brother in disbelief. Raphael’s eyes met his; his stare just as sincere as Leonardo’s. “I hate seeing you this pathetic, bro. If keepin’ her safe will keep you from moping around, then I’ll do what I can.” “You’re doing this for me and not Eros?” Leonardo raised an eyebrow. Raphael smirked. “I guess I, or we owe her now; after what she did for Mikey.” “Thanks, Raph,” Leonardo’s face softened. “Thank you……” “No problem. But there’s still one thing we gotta discuss, bro.” “What’s that?” “What’s with the opening up door-portal powers?” 

The two brothers returned to see me awake and my head hoisted up with a couple of pillows. We looked at them as they came through the window. “Eros!” Leonardo’s eyes lit up when he saw me conscious again, rushing quickly over to my side. “H-hello, Leonardo,” I gave a tiny grin. “Everything alright?” Donatello asked Raphael, who came over to his side and looked at us. “Yeah, it’s cool. How is she?” “Well, she did take all Mikey’s injuries. Luckily, there doesn’t seem to be any broken bones or concussion. Just some real big bumps and bruises.” Raphael nodded, getting a good look at me for the first time. 

“Does it hurt?” Leonardo asked me worried. I nodded gently but still managed a smile. “Donnie, isn’t there something you can do?” He blinked over to Donatello. The purple-masked turtle went back over to my pathetic medical kit which he found under the sink in my bathroom; my landlord must have left it there. “I’ve already given her two Tylenol-3s. There’s not much else I can do without my medical kit, bro.” “It’s alright, Leonardo. I’ll be fine,” I tried to comfort him. “Why did you do that?” He turned back to me with stern eyes. “We can take a lot more than you; we heal a lot faster. Why did you take Mikey’s wounds? You don’t even know him.” “I…….” I took in a deep breath, turning my head to face the ceiling. “I wanted to, that’s all.” “Awe!” Michelangelo awed on his seat on the couch beside me. “You’re super sweet! Can we keep her?!” He blinked up at the eldest with begging eyes. 

“She’s not a dog, Mikey,” Raphael rolled his eyes, approaching me for the first time. He stared down at me with a loud frown across his face. But I couldn’t read what he was feeling in that second; his actions were unclear. “It’s nice to see you again, Raphael,” I spoke when he didn’t, which I found a bit uncomfortable. “So, you’ve been sneaking around with our brother, have you?” He folded his arms in a non-threatening way. I frowned, and Michelangelo’s eyes grew. “Wait, your friends with her?” He asked Leonardo. The eldest blushed a little, turning his head to the side awkwardly. “Uh, well yeah.” “Dude, why didn’t you tell us?! How long have you guys known each other?!” “A-almost two weeks,” he grinned shyly. “Dude!” Donatello frowned, joining in the conversation. “Not cool, Leo! Keeping secrets from your own family!” “Why wouldn’t you tell us about her?” “Uh, because…….” 

“Because I kept harassing him about it,” Raphael answered for him, earning an astonished glance from Leonardo. “You knew, Raph!?” Donatello pointed at him accusingly. “And you didn’t say anything?” Raphael looked at his intelligent brother for a few seconds before speaking, adding a casual shrug. “It wasn’t mine to tell.” Raph…… Leonardo stared at him downright baffled. “I knew he’d say something, when the time was right,” he quickly tacked on. “Really? Did you, Raph?” Leonardo wasn’t impressed by his trying to save himself at his brother’s expense. Raphael shot him a look but didn’t reply. 

The tension of the room was broken by my sudden coughing fit. All four glanced at me worriedly. “Eros! Are you ok? What’s wrong?” “N-nothing…..” I wiped my mouth with my sleeve. “I’m just a bit sore.” “You should go lay in bed and get some rest,” Donatello instructed. “I’ll be in in a while to administer some more medicine.” “You got it, bro! All abroad the turtle train!” Michelangelo jumped to his feet, ready to scoop me up in his arms until Leonardo stopped him. “I got this,” Leonardo said in a low voice and bent down. “Huh?” Michelangelo was about to protest but Raphael placed his hand on his brother’s shoulder. He looked back to see Raphael shake his head slightly. 

The three turtles then watched Leonardo gently lift me up into his arms bridal-style and carry me to my room. They followed close behind, standing at my doorway while Leonardo pulled back the covers and set me down. Michelangelo came in, getting on my bed just as his leader had finished tucking me in. “Uh, what do you think are you doing?” His eyebrow rose when Michelangelo laid down over top of the covers beside me. “I just wanna stay with her for a while,” he answered, resting his head on the pillow next to mine. “Whoa, bro! That’s…….” “Actually, it might be a good idea,” Donatello interjected. “What?” “Someone should keep visual over her, at least for the first couple of days or so.” “I can do that!” Leonardo stated firmly. “Just leave ‘em,” Raphael waved his hand in the air. “We’re going to have a talk anyways,” his eyes met Leonardo’s, folding his arms for emphasis. Leonardo flinched, glanced at me, then back at his brothers.


	3. Paris

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raphael decides that he wants to see what Leonardo finds so enchanting about you for himself.

“You can annoy me all you want, Donnie. I’m still not speaking to him.” “But he’s our brother. Come on, Raph; you guys will need to talk this out sooner or later.” “Allow me to disagree,” Raphael smirked coldly, making Donatello roll his eyes. 

Raphael forced Leonardo to come clean about our little excursions abroad. Both Donatello and Raphael were shocked and scandalized. Leonardo tried to explain at first that he was going to tell them eventually and we didn’t go anywhere dangerous. But he stopped trying to justify himself when Raphael kept insulting him, mainly on how he betrayed the team and his brothers. To make a long story short, talking turned to arguing, and arguing turned to physical fighting. While Michelangelo and I slept both slept on my bed in my bedroom, Leonardo and Raphael brawled it out in my living room. Donatello attempted to be the voice of reason in vain. He was completely ignored as the two eldest turtles punched and kicked it out of their system. But that wasn’t enough to relieve the tension between them. 

When they had had enough of fighting each other, Raphael plainly said that he didn’t want to be in the same room as Leonardo any longer. Leonardo agreed and told Raphael to beat it. They were both surprised when Donatello suggested that Leonardo be the one to go back to the lair. “I’m not leaving Eros!” He declared. “You’ve also been hurt by this. You need some time to recover and I don’t think that’ll happen here; at least not right now.” “I’m not going anywhere, Donnie,” Leonardo shot him a glare. “What if Eros needs me?” “If she needs anything, the three of us will be here to tend her. Why don’t you come back in the morning and then Raphael can leave for a while?” “Why do I have to go?!” Raphael yelled. “Because you’re the ones who’re fighting!” Donatello loudly retorted. 

Over the next two days, all the turtles got into a routine. Someone was always with me in my room- Leonardo made that non-negotiable. But they took turns. Every couple of hours, Donatello, Leonardo, and Michelangelo would sit up with me. Raphael was the only one who wasn’t a visual. He helped out in other ways like getting Donatello more medical supplies from his lab at the lair or bringing food when we started to run out. 

Leonardo and Raphael barely saw each other, and they definitely didn’t say anything when they did. They only glared at one another while they passed in and out of my apartment window. That night was Leonardo’s turn to go back to the lair while Raphael brought Donatello more material. Raphael placed the white plastic bag on the kitchen counter and crossed the room into the living room side (the kitchen and living room were one compact room with no walls) to plop himself down on the couch. He let out a groan, tilted his head up to the ceiling, and rubbed his face with both his hands. It was then that Donatello tried acting as mediator between his two brothers, again. 

“Look, you’re mad; I get it. But you can’t keep ignoring him forever. What would Splinter say?” “He would say that Leo was a righteous hypocrite who doesn’t deserve to be leader,” Raphael looked at Donatello with a stern frown. “He lied to us, Donnie.” “He didn’t lie. He just…… didn’t tell us about Eros…… or her abilities…… or the fact that he travelled overseas with her.” “And that doesn’t make you mad?” “I have to admit, I was shocked but there’s nothing we can do about it now. It wasn’t cool of him and Leo knows that. I don’t think he’ll do it again.” “Why? Because he got caught?” “Because it’s the right thing,” Donatello eyes met Raphael’s. “Get over it, Raph. The longer you drag this out, the more it’s going to hurt the whole team and Eros. She’s not dumb, you know; she can see what’s going on between you two.” Raphael glanced down to his hands, which hung in front of him as he rested his elbows on his knees. 

“Speaking of Eros, how is she doing?” “Good! She’s stable now.” “What does that mean?” Raphael asked Donatello. “It means that she isn’t in critical condition anymore. Her recovery is coming along just fine.” Raphael nodded as his purple-masked brother spoke. Raphael hadn’t seen me since the night I got injured. To be honest, he didn’t know what to make of me. He’d never seen Leonardo act so protectively about anyone before. Their leader was usually rough and casual with the rest of them, but he was totally different around her. Leonardo was soft and gentle with me, not because I was a girl or anything but because he wanted to be. Because I made him feel soft and contrary to popular belief, that was a very good thing; at least in Leonardo’s opinion. 

Michelangelo and Donatello also liked me but in a different sort of way. Michelangelo and I became fast friends; whenever Leonardo was not with me, he was usually by my side. I also let him sleep in my bed with me. He slept over the covers while I slept under them, so it didn’t feel awkward or weird. Donatello was more of a nursemaid. He was in charge of keeping track of my health and recovery, which he did with the upmost diligence. We grew close, but our relationship felt more like that of caregiver and cared-for. There was nothing wrong with that, it was just different than his brothers’ bond. 

And then there was Raphael. Raphael was the only turtle I hadn’t bonded with in some way. It seemed to me that he was avoiding me. Donatello told me about his and Leonardo’s fight about us traveling together. I had a sneaking suspicion that that might have had something to do with his ignoring me like the plague. And I let him evade me; I wouldn’t go out of my way to see him. Michelangelo reaffirmed my decision. “Don’t worry about Raph. He’s a hot-head,” he told me the morning I woke up. Very well then; if Raphael had no desire to see me, then I would respect his boundaries. 

Still, I had to admit that I was a little curious about the red-masked turtle. From what Michelangelo and Donatello told me, he and Leonardo were rivals, he was the one on the team with the temper, and he did not trust humans. I was curious but that was enough for me; Raphael would come to me when and if he wanted to. To everyone’s surprise, that happened sooner than later. 

Raphael’s curiosity about me had been growing since that night too. He wondered what kind of woman would make Leonardo, their “great” leader, act so….. happy and worried all the time. Why is it that Leonardo looked happiest when he was by my side, where he would smile without even thinking about it? Raphael was curious, and those embers would not die; they grew hotter each and every day. Then one day, he could bare it no longer. There was something about me, something that only Leonardo could see. And Raphael was determined to find out what it was, tonight. 

Raphael watched his purple-masked brother put awake some things in the kitchen from the couch. “You goin’ somewhere?” “It’s my turn to switch off with Mikey,” Donatello explained. “Don’t bother,” Donatello looked at him as Raphael got up from the couch. His eyes grew in surprise when Raphael headed over to my bedroom door. “I’ll take this shift.” “You?” Donatello blinked astonished. “You….. want to stay with Eros tonight?” “You got a problem with that?!” Raphael fired him an irritated glare. “N-no! I’m just surprised! You haven’t seen her since….. two days ago. Why now all of a sudden?” “I just wanna talk to her, that’s all.” 

“Raph…..” Donatello narrowed his suspicious eyes onto him. Raphael stiffened. “What?!” “Don’t stress her out. She’s been through enough.” “Who said I was going to stress her out?! We’re just gonna talk, that’s all!” “Fine,” Donatello frowned firmly. “But don’t bring up your fight with Leonardo. That’ll definitely stress her out and it’s your fight; leave Eros out of it.” “Alright,” Raphael rolled his eyes and opened my bedroom door. 

Raphael found Michelangelo dramatically reading fairy tales to me, pausing every so often to give a disgusted face when he read the ending. Unhappy with them, he presented a cheerier “happy-ever-after” conclusion. And I found his renditions hilarious. We were in the middle of Little Red Riding Hood, or Little Orange-Masked Skateboarding Turtle, when my door opened. We turned to see Raphael standing there, looking at us with a sort of confused expression. “R-Raph!” “Raphael!” “Hey,” he gave his head a little nod. 

“What are you doing here, bro?” Michelangelo asked. “I’m here to switch off with you,” Raphael answered with a lot less confidence than he would have liked. We blinked puzzled. “You?” “Yes, me,” he was able to answer his brother more assuredly this time, sending him a look for good measure. “What’s going on, Raphael? Where’s Leonardo?” “I don’t know, and I don’t care!” He yelled at me, instantly regretting it once he saw the alarm in my face. “It’s just…… I thought I would take a turn to….. stay with…… Look, just go and have a nap for a couple of hours, ok?!” His thumb shot to the door. “Uh, ok?” Michelangelo sounded confused. He looked to me with puzzled eyes. “Are you ok with this?” I nodded, sending him a smile. “Ok, then….. I guess I’ll get something to eat. You guys have a good time,” he waved at me as he left my room. Raphael waited until he was in the kitchen before he closed the door. I looked at him when it clicked shut. 

“H-how are you doing?” Raphael decided to not let any awkward silence creep in. I blinked in surprise. He stood at the foot of my bed but stared down at the floor, unable to look me in the eye. “M-much better, thank you.” “That’s good,” he rubbed the back of his neck a bit uncomfortably. It was then that he summed up the courage to finally look at me. Even if he didn’t feel confident being alone with me yet, he would fake it until he was. 

“So,” Raphael crossed his arms and narrow his eyes. In truth, he had no idea what he was doing but just went with it; too late to turn back now. “Is it true that you went to Paris with Leo?” I nodded my head, not taking my eyes off him. “So it’s true then? You can…. go overseas, just like that?” He snapped his fingers. Again, I nodded. Raphael finally let a pregnant pause come between us. It looked like he was internally debating with himself about something. Then his emerald-green eyes met mine, firm with decision. 

“Show me.” “Huh?” I blinked. “Take me abroad. I wanna see this power of yours,” Raphael said. “Uh, w-what about Leonardo?” I asked unsure. He frowned. “What about him? If he can do it, then so can I. We’re going, just the two of us.” My back stiffened a little when he took a step towards me, his stare locked onto me. “I wanna see what makes him so damn happy when he’s with you.” My eyes grew but I didn’t say anything. I wasn’t going to deny Raphael this trip alone, but I thought it best to text Leonardo about it first. As if reading my mind, Raphael took my phone from its charger as I reached for it. It alarmed me when he tossed it onto a pile of clothes on the floor. “No phones,” he said, smirking at me. He took his T-phone out and threw it beside mine. Then he came over to my bedside. 

“Can you walk?” “I think so. Just help me stand out of bed and I’ll try to cross the room.” “You absolutely sure about this?” I nodded, holding out my arms for him to help lift me up. “Yes, just please give me a hand.” Raphael grunted, unconvinced. But he did as he was asked and lifted me to my feet as gently as he could. He frowned when he saw my wobbly stance; I hadn’t stood up straight in two days, the turtles just carried me everywhere. Unimpressed with my obvious fragility, Raphael didn’t let go of my hand or arm. “Try putting some weight on it and we’ll see,” he said, though he had no intention of letting me stay on my feet for more than a split second. I gave a little cry after my pathetic attempt at a step forward. Before I had time to wince, Raphael swept me up in his arms with my legs dangling over his elbow and his right arm supporting my back. I looked up at him in surprise. 

“Y-you can put me down, Raphael! I just need to get used to walking again, that’s all.” “Fat chance! You’ll fall flat on your face!” “W-what? You mean you’re going to carry me the whole time there?” We both blushed at the suggestion and Raphael’s head shot away shyly. But he didn’t put me down. “Y-yeah, what’s wrong with that?” “Won’t your arms get tired?” Then he laughed. “Are you kidding? You weigh like nothing!” This only made me blush brighter and I glanced down at my hands. “But, it’s just……” I scrambled with my words, twiddling my thumbs in a demure fashion. “It makes me feel kind of needy. It feels like you’re treating me a bit like a child.” “Yeah right. You better get used to this, princess, cause I’m not letting you go.” 

My eyes widened, my mouth hung open, but no sound came up; all I did was look at him in mild astonishment. “So, how do we do this?” Raphael asked me while he continued to hold me princess-style. “Uh, we need to go to the door.” Carefully, he carried me over to it. “Now what?” “I need to open it.” Nodding, he lowered me in such a way that I could reach the knob. I quickly thought of a place, not bothering to ask where he wanted to go, and twisted it. Raphael wasn’t sure what to expect for a second until the wood of the door pushed open. His eyes slowly began to widen at the sight of a massive, medieval city on the other side. 

For a minute, the red-masked turtle didn’t make a move. It was like he didn’t trust his own eyes. The scent of blooming orange trees, musk, and river water hit his nostrils. Out in front of him was a collection of yellow and white buildings with red-shingle rooftops. Near the right side of the city was a gigantic red dome attached to what looked to be a cathedral. It was big yet tight, bustling yet relaxed, elegant yet simple. Raphael had never seen anything like it before and he couldn’t take it all in right away. As he crossed the threshold with me in his arms, his senses were assaulted; much like Leonardo was when we first arrived at Paris. And just like him, I let Raphael soak in as much as he could before I finally said something. “Welcome to Florence.” 

“Florence……” Raphael repeated in a whisper, not taking his eyes off the city out in front of us. “Is this really Florence? Am I really looking at Florence? Am I really in Florence?” I nodded, a warm smile passing over my lips. I was enjoying his reaction, just like I enjoyed his brother’s. He looked to be experiencing a hundred emotions at once. His face looked happy and confused. I felt his muscles tense around me. I waited another minute until I broke the silence again. “We’re in the gardens at the Castle of Vincigilata. I knew it’d be the perfect place cause it’s closed now and you can see the whole city from here.” “Castle?” Raphael gasped. “We’re in a castle?” I smiled and nodded. “Well, technically we’re in the gardens.” 

As if noticing our immediate surrounding for the first time, Raphael scanned around. The two-story, white and blue tower’s balcony we were standing rested at the top of the garden as well. The garden itself was a sprawl of various sections. A hedge maze, a courtyard with tea tables, a fountain near the front, and a flower garden with trees on the right side. At the bottom was the castle; traditional Florentine-style with two floors and a basement for the servants. I asked Raphael if he wanted to see inside but he was more interested in the city itself. 

Never setting me down on my feet once, we roamed in the shadows, making our way to the city centre. He paused every ten seconds or so to look at something. I laughed at his enthusiasm; he was like a child in an unsupervised candy store. We had to cross the river by hopping along the rooftops of the bridge’s many shops- all closed. I guess it didn’t really matter that I didn’t have any money; nowhere was opened and Raphael adamantly refused to put me down. 

But he did when we reached the Uffizi Gallery street. It was empty, minus the many statues of famous artists and writers lining each side of the street. They were all white marble statues; all of men, I should add. Raphael didn’t seem to notice; he was super excited to be there. He found a place for me to sit comfortably, on a step beside one of the statues. After setting me down very carefully, he ran from one statue to the next, inspecting each intently. Then he pretended to have conversations with them, making me laugh hard. He was funny- go figure. 

After that, we went to the main cathedral- the Florence Cathedral. It was the only place he asked to see inside, which I complied. We found a nearby back alley door, which I opened into one of the cathedral’s countless side doors. Raphael was so amazed inside that he couldn’t speak. The roof of the dome was the highest thing he had ever seen, from the inside anyways. Just standing under it made us feel insignificant. He was also surprised by how white and polished everything was. The pillars, the walls, the floor, the roof- it was all white! We explored in there for a few minutes, careful not to stay too long so to not get caught. 

Raphael and I spent a total of three hours in Florence. To be honest, we both lost track of time. After the cathedral, we went back to the river where Raphael found a small grass patch to set me on. He raced around, playing on the street’s ledge and climbing up and down the side. By then, we forgot about the others, too enraptured by the gorgeous, medieval city. While Raphael was still playing in the street, I laid back in the grass and shut my eyes, taking in a deep breath of the warm evening air. This brief separation gave Raphael the chance to reflect on his thoughts and very new experiences. 

Raphael couldn’t get what the allure with me was to Leonardo, but now he understood; it made perfect sense. This was magic- pure magic. This place, this river, these buildings…… Raphael adored every inch of it. Now he saw why all the great artists of history came from here; inspiration was practically bleeding out of everywhere. Heh, he grinned to himself as he hopped from one of the bridge’s beanpole to another. Perfect place for authors to think of romance stories. He only stopped when he climbed back up to see me laying in the grass; my eyes were closed restfully, and my hair was all spread out around me. His mouth opened a little as his eyes widened. Romance…… 

But no! The red-masked caught his wandering mind just in time. He gave himself a hard mental kick. That’s stupid! We barely even know each other! The best we can hope to be now is friends; romance or anything like that was a long, long ways off. Besides! Why would he go ruining everything with something so foolish like love? He had to remind himself that I was a human and he was a mutant turtle. Even if he did trust me now, it would never work; he knew that after watching Donatello one-sided crush with April. No, he would not allow himself to have a crush on me. It was just stupid hormones! He didn’t actually like me, at least not like that. That’s what he told himself anyways, but when my eyes opened onto him and my lips smiled gently, he wasn’t so sure. 

I lifted my head up to see Raphael watching me from over at the bridge. I smiled at him and it was light enough out for him to see. Although his eyes never left me, he looked…… conflicted. And we just stared at each other for a moment or so, a million thoughts racing through both of our minds. Raphael brought his hand up to his chest. No, this was happening way to fast. Wait no! He was wrong! Nothing was happening! We were just friends on a short trip together, that’s all. A series of memories played through his mind; seeing me for the first time up on the roof, my getting injured, our night in Florence. Everything around me in the memories were blurred; the only thing that was crystal clear were my piercing eyes. She has pretty eyes, he thought to himself. He never realized how nice my eyes were, how…… capturing they could be. Heh, he chuckled inwardly. They were like hooks to your soul. No wonder Leo……. 

Leonardo! Raphael’s eyes grew large. That’s right! We didn’t tell him where we were going, or that we were going at all. Would he be mad? That would be very hypocritical if he was. Raphael didn’t think he had that to worry about. Only…… would he be jealous? He gave himself another mental kick. Jealous? Jealous of what?! We just went to Florence; nothing wrong with that! His eyes lowered a bit. Nothing wrong with that, is there? 

Is it also your job to keep a secret girlfriend on the side?! Oh crap, Raphael winced. I did say that, didn’t I? Ok, but I was wrong! I admit that I was way off! Leonardo couldn’t possibly like Eros like that, could he? Raphael debated the facts in his head. He did seem really happy to be around me, but so did Michelangelo and he didn’t like me! On top of which, Leonardo said himself that we’re “just friends” and I was a human after all. No, Raphael came to the conclusion while still on the bridge. Girl or not, I was still a human first and foremost, which meant that I was off-limits. Raphael couldn’t date me in the future even if he wanted to. It also meant that Leonardo couldn’t either. Raphael was content with this outcome; there was no way he was ever letting Leonardo try a stunt like that. Because we’re different species, he told himself. That was justification enough in his mind. Satisfied with everything, Raphael started to walk back towards me. 

After that brief remembering, Raphael forgot about his older brother for the rest of the time in Florence. When the bells chimed signalling that it was eleven o’clock, we looked at each other. “It’s late. Should we head back?” I asked Raphael. He shrugged, rolling his eyes to one side. “Eh, I guess we have to return eventually.” “Ok. Can you find an unlocked door?” He did in one of the alleyways and I opened “the door” back into my room. It was empty, and the lights were out, just how we left it. Raphael shut it behind us and carried me over to my bed. Still holding me up with one arm, he pulled back the covers and gently laid me down. Then he tucked me in. I couldn’t help but notice that he was smiling while he did it. 

“Get some sleep. You’ve had a long night.” “We’ve had a long night,” I corrected in a kind voice. “Fine,” he chuckled. “We’ve had a long night.” I smiled softly up at him. “Are you going to go back to the lair tonight?” Raphael’s grin began to fade. We’d only spent a couple of hours together, but he didn’t like the idea of being so far away from me, especially with me in this condition. He looked at me with reassuring eyes. “I think I’m gonna camp out here for a little while, if that’s ok with you.” “Of course it is! You’re always welcome here.” He smiled. “Thanks.” 

“I guess it’s Donatello’s turn to switch off,” I yawned, nuzzling my head into the pillow. Man, my bed was comfy! “Nah, that’s ok,” Raphael waved his hand in the air nonchalantly. “I’ll sleep in here tonight.” “Sleep in here? Where?” He tapped the ground with his foot. “On the floor.” “Oh, Raphael,” I let out a sigh. “You don’t have to do that.” He shrugged. “I can sleep anywhere; it’s fine.” “Ok,” my eyes gently shut themselves. “Good,” I said before slowly drifting off into a deep, dreamless slumber. He smiled down at me, watching me for another second before exiting the room as quickly as possible. 

Raphael emerged to find all the lights out, with only the glare off the TV luminating the living room. Michelangelo and Donatello were both passed out; the youngest lying on the floor and the third eldest sprawled out sideways on the couch. There was a movie playing on the screen, though the sound was on low. For a moment, Raphael was a bit disgusted by this display but realized that they must have fell asleep content, knowing that their strongest fighter was with me. Therefore, their lazy attitudes were permissible this one time. 

Raphael turned on the TV, grabbed a blanket and pillow off the couch, and headed over to the kitchen to get a drink. While he was filling up a cup he found in one of the cupboards with tap water, he heard the sound of the window open. Turning around, he saw Leonardo crawling inside. He tried to find a light switch, but Raphael beat him to it, flicking on a lamp beside my two-chair kitchen table. Leonardo flinched in surprise while Raphael leaned against the kitchen counter and crossed his arms. “Raph! I thought you’d be back at the lair by now,” Leonardo said in surprise.

“Shhhhh,” Raphael shushed his brother, waving one hand in the air. “Keep it down; don’t wake the B-team.” “Sorry,” Leonardo whispered, coming closer to Raphael. “Were you guys watching a movie?” “They were, until they passed out,” Raphael motioned to Michelangelo on the floor with his foot. “Where’s Eros?” “She’s asleep.” “Oh, ok; good,” Leonardo let out a small sigh of relief. Then he noticed the pillow and blanket in Raphael’s hands. “Wait, are you going to stay the night?” Raphael’s lips began to droop in a frown as he slowly nodded his head. “Why don’t you go back to the lair? I’ll stay.” “That won’t be necessary,” Raphael’s frown grew. Leonardo looked at him with confused yet stern eyes. “I said it’s fine, Raph. I’ll stay with Eros tonight.” 

“I’m going to spend the night with her.” “W-wait? You….. you’re going to watch over Eros? You?” Leonardo was more surprised than anything. Raphael had never shown an interest in me since that night on the rooftop before their giant blow up. Raphael, on the other hand, strengthened his resolve the longer he stood in front of the team’s leader. It was strange; when he was with me, he felt so sure and unsure of everything at once. Everything suddenly seemed possible and yet at arms-length, and that’s how he wanted it surprisingly. Raphael trusted me, but he didn’t trust the world with me……. Yeah, even he had to admit that that sounded weird, but it was how he honestly felt. I just looked frail and fragile in his eyes. He wanted to watch me spread my wings and fly, but he wanted to make sure that the sky was also safe for me to fly up to. Was this what it felt like to worry about someone? Was this the anxiety that Leonardo described earlier? He didn’t know and right now, he didn’t care. He may have felt unsure about everything when I looked at him, but he never felt so certain as when someone else looked at me. Raphael meant what he said about keeping me safe back then. 

To Leonardo’s bewilderment, Raphael firmed his stance, set down the pillow, and crossed his arms in front of his shell defiantly. “Yeah, me. You got a problem with that?” Leonardo blinked at his younger brother in astonishment. “Why would you care about Eros? D-did something happen?” Raphael lowered his gaze, thinking for a moment. This made him feel conflicted. He didn’t exactly feel like telling Leonardo about our trip to Florence just yet, but if he didn’t that would make him a gigantic hypocrite. The whole reason they were fighting was because Leonardo didn’t tell the others about our travels; Raphael would be guilty of the same offense if he stayed quiet. 

But he had to admit, it felt uncomfortable as hell! In truth, Raphael had no desire to share our adventure with his eldest brother. He couldn’t possibly understand what it meant to him; being in a new place, almost like a fairy tale. Raphael felt like he had grown more as an individual tonight than the past year. What he didn’t know then was that Leonardo knew exactly how he felt, including the wish to keep such a profound experience to oneself. But Raphael didn’t know and that affected his decision. 

Not wanting to be a massive hypocrite but not wanted to dive into another war this would probably spark, Raphael just looked up at Leonardo with serious, sound eyes. His green irises glowed against the lamp light. “As a matter of fact, something did happen. Eros and I spent the evening together.” “Y-you did?!” Leonardo gasped, his eyes widening. Raphael nodded. “We’re cool, her and I. I guess you could say that we’ve reached an understanding.” “Oh?” Leonardo’s eyebrow raised. “And what’s that?” The blue-masked turtle folded his arms. “You finally trust her completely then?” “Oh yeah, I trust her, and she seems to trust me.” “Well that’s…… good, I guess,” Leonardo thought to himself before glancing up at Raphael again. “What did you guys talk about?” “We’ll talk about that tomorrow. I’m bushed, bro,” Raphael chose to end the conversation; it was getting too close for comfort. Leonardo looked surprised but nodded in agreement. 

Content with that, Raphael picked up the pillow and headed to my room. This definitely caught Leonardo’s attention and not in a good way. “Uh, where are you going?” “I told you, I’m staying with Eros tonight.” “You don’t to sleep in her room,” Leonardo countered, frowning. “Yeah, well I am,” Raphael turned to open my door. “Raph!” Leonardo hollered in a whisper, coming up behind him. The red-masked turtle already rolled his eyes before his brother started talking. “What’s with you?” Leonardo came to stand beside him. “You’re acting weird.” “Weird how?” Raphael shot him a glare. “You’re like….. all worried over Eros all of a sudden.” “So? You worry about her.” “That’s different!” “How?” “Because she’s my friend! And besides I…….” “You what?” Raphael asked him in a dangerous tone. 

Leonardo blinked, like he caught himself; his brain seemed to run on autopilot for a second. Blinking a second time, he glanced over to Raphael with a puzzled expression on his face like he didn’t know how to finish his sentence. Then he took in a deep breath and gave his head a little shake. “Besides, I’m the leader. It’s my responsibly to make sure that she’s alright.” “Oh yeah? Well take the night off,” Raphael spat. “You’re not the only one who can take care of things.” “She’s not your problem, Raph,” Leonardo frowned. “You’re right. It’s like you said, she’s none of our problem- Eros is not a problem. So, back off! I’m tired.” 

“Then let me stay up with her! I’m wide awake,” Leonardo took hold of his bicep, which Raphael quickly retracted. “What? You don’t think I can, or should?” Raphael asked, not hiding the venom in his voice. “Mikey and Donnie can stay with her, but I can’t? Is that what you’re saying?” “I’m saying…….!”

“When did you get here, Leo?” They turned to see a sleepy Michelangelo stumble through the dark. He also had a blanket in his arm. With a yawn, he reached the two eldest brothers in the short hallway, right outside my bedroom door. “Mikey!” Raphael gasped in surprise. “Sorry, Mikey. Did we wake you up?” Leonardo asked in a quieter voice. Michelangelo yawned widely and rubbed his right eye. “Nah. I just woke up and realized I was on the floor. I wanna go to bed.” “Alright, bro,” Leonardo patted him on the shoulder. “You can back to sleep.” “Ok,” he hummed tiredly. Both Leonardo and Raphael’s eyes grew in surprise when Michelangelo suddenly opened my bedroom door. “Hey, Mikey! What do you think you’re doing? Mikey!” Raphael yelled in whisper. 

Michelangelo didn’t answer, slugging over to my bed. The sound of my door opening made me half wakeup and I rolled to my other side to see Michelangelo approaching me. I reached out my arms welcoming him. “Michelangelo,” I moaned. He plopped himself down right beside me, us facing each other and my hand on top of his. With that, we both passed out. 

Leonardo sighed, relaxing his stance a little. “I guess that takes care of that,” he said, glancing at Raphael with a little grin. Raphael grunted, alarming his brother when he stepped inside. “Raph, what are you doing?” “Going to sleep.” “But Mikey is already here,” Leonardo tried. Raphael responded by tossing the pillow to the floor. “And so am I,” he laid down and covered himself with the blanket. 

Leonardo frowned but didn’t try and stop him. He debated what to do, namely where he would sleep seeing that he wouldn’t be going back to the lair. While still standing in my doorway, he couldn’t help but look at me. A small smile crept across his lips as he watched me sleep, rubbing the back of his face. A snore from Raphael made him glare at his brother. Ugh, and then there was him. Well, Leonardo reasoned his annoyance away to himself; if Raphael can sleep in here, then so could he. He was going to get something positive out of this situation, which Raphael did first he might add, so he can’t have a problem with it. Leonardo fetched another blanket and pillow from the living room, careful not to wake Donatello who was still passed out on the couch. Then he went back to my room, shutting the door, and laying down on floor on the other side of my bed. He fell asleep in seconds, content with being in the same apartment with all his brothers (even Raphael) and Eros.


	4. Danger

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Kraang learn about you and are very interested in your abilities. The turtles are not amused.

“The Kraang saw it with Kraang’s own eyes.” The Kraang regrouped in their hideaway after their latest encounter with the turtles. The survivors were relaying to the rest what, or rather who, they had seen on campus. “Impossible,” one of the aliens who was not present dismissed the claim. “The one known as humans cannot teleport.” “But this human did teleport. She vanished from the place known as university with one of the turtles,” another replied in its monotone robotic voice. 

“Who is this human?” “She is the one known as Erynnis Lauser, offspring of Mathius Lauser; native to Vienna, Caen.” “Did you say the place that is Vienna?” A Kraang who hadn’t spoken yet finally interjected. “The Kraang did.” “The Kraang used to do experiments on the humans in Caen long ago.” “But none survived,” another added. “And the Kraang wanted the humans to take injuries from the Kraang; not teleport.” “You are mistaken,” the one spun around to face the rest. “One test subject did survive- a human infant. She disappeared without explanation before the Kraang could study the effects of mutagen on her person.” “What makes the Kraang think that she developed the power known as teleportation? That was not the goal of the Kraang’s experimentation.” “It is only a possibility. The Kraang must investigate the situation further.” “How do the Kraang find the Erynnis?” They considered for a brief moment. “She was with the turtles. They will know her location.” 

I woke up in my bed to a familiar weight beside me. My eyes opened gently to see Michelangelo laying there. He woke about the same time I did, meeting my gaze sleepily. I smiled and so did he. “Good morning.” “Morning,” he yawned then rolled onto his back, spreading out his arms. “Going back to sleep?” I asked. He responded with another yawn. “Just five more minutes,” he said as he gently shut his eyes. I sat up and glanced over to the window; the tide was out, and it was raining a little. Inevitably, the large lump on my floor caught my attention. 

Raphael was balled up in a blanket, using it to block out the sun’s rays. It took me a second to remember last night’s events and why he was sleeping on the side of my bed. Huh, a small grin crossed my lips; so, he did sleep in here after all. The quiet was interrupted by a little snore on the other side of my bed. I was a little surprised to see Leonardo also laying there, fast asleep. So he, Raphael, and Michelangelo all spent the night in my room? A flush of pink couldn’t help but burn my cheeks. That’s never happened before, it made me a little embarrassed and happy at the same time. 

It was around then that Leonardo’s eyes began to open. With a wide yawn, he sat up, only to find me looking at him. “Oh! You’re up? Good morning, Eros.” “Good morning, Leonardo. What are you doing here?” “Uh?” He blinked as if to be remembering himself. Then he straightened his back. “I just wanted to make sure you were alright last night, that’s all.” “Is that so?” A smile crept across my lips. It was about then that Raphael began to groan and toss about to. I could practically hear Leonardo’s eyes roll as he sighed heavily. “Would you keep it down?” Raphael growled in a low, tired tone. “Some of us are trying to sleep.” “Ignore him,” Leonardo told me. “He’s always grumpy in the mornings.” “Who are you calling grumpy?!” Raphael shot up to give his brother a glare. 

The tension in the room was interrupted by a loud yawn from Michelangelo, who opened his eyes and smiled. “Good morning everyone!” He chimed happily. Then he noticed his two eldest brothers in the same room. It wasn’t a good sign that they were glaring at one another, but Michelangelo decided to take it as a good omen. “You guys are together, finally!” He looked a little too prematurely happy in our opinion. Leonardo felt awkward and Raphael grunted, turning away from his blue-masked brother. I glanced from one to the other ponderingly, though I didn’t say anything. It was then that Leonardo’s attention redirected back to me again. 

“How do feel this morning, Eros?” With that one sentence, all attention seemed to be locked onto me. I suddenly felt Raphael and Michelangelo’s eyes on me, waiting to hear my response. It made me a little uncomfortable, but I managed a smile, for their sake. “Much better, thank you.” “Good,” he smiled as a wave of genuine relief washed over his face. I’m sure Raphael noticed. “Come on,” Raphael definitely stiffened when Leonardo came over, extending his arms out for me. “Let’s get some breakfast.” “Alright!” All our eyes widened as Michelangelo beat Leonardo to it, scooping me up into his arms in the blink of an eye. I was surprised how fast he got to his feet. “All aboard the Mikey Express!” His brothers rolled their eyes but let it go, seeing as I was grinning up at him contently. “I’ll make you my famous pizza omelette, Ero-pie!” “Ero-pie?” Raphael raised an eyebrow; not out of jealousy but more confusion. “Cute, isn’t it? She looks like an Ero-pie!” “Whatever you say,” they followed us out of the room. 

Donatello was already awake. He was in the middle of organizing his medical kit when the four of us entered. His eyes revealed how surprised he was to see Leonardo and Raphael emerge together. “Whoa! Did the three of you sleep in Eros’s room last night?” He asked. “Yeah, we did,” Raphael crossed his arms defiantly. “Got a problem with that?” “Do you?” Donatello countered, eyeing him and Leonardo concernedly. Leonardo and Raphael didn’t answer, just giving each other another brief glare before coming further into the kitchen. “Uh, did I miss something?” Donatello asked no one in particular; no one answered him. Attention returned to me as Michelangelo brought me to the living room half of the room. 

The orange-masked turtle gently set me down onto the couch. He sat down on my right and Leonardo on my left. Donatello came over to kneel down in front of me with a bottle of medicine in one hand and glass of water in the other. “Pill time,” he announced, taking one slender orange tablet out of the bottle and handing it to me. I swallowed it with a gulp of water. “Alright,” he nodded approvingly. “Now you need to eat.” “Already on it, bro!” Michelangelo leapt to his feet in excitement. “One pizza omelette coming up!” Raphael rolled his eyes and frowned. “You’re supposed to feed her; not make her sick.” “No, she’ll love it, bro! Eros loves my cooking, right?” Michelangelo looked at me enthusiastically. My mouth opened but no words came out. He took this as a resound “yes”. “See?! I told you; I’ll get right on breakfast!” 

“Hate to break it to you but I’ve already made tea and toast,” Donatello cut in after seeing the expression on my face. “Awe, dude!” Michelangelo whined loudly. “Just go sit down. I’ll bring you each a plate,” Donatello instructed, already feeling exasperated. Although still droned, Michelangelo re-joined us at the couch, sitting next to me. “Thank you anyways, Michelangelo,” I tried to console him. He grinned at me with a soft, lovely gaze.   
“I was wondering, when are we gonna get to go abroad?” “We’re not going anywhere until Eros’s is completely healed,” Leonardo answered for me. I blinked to him in surprise and Raphael suddenly felt a bubble of nerve swell in his stomach. Michelangelo was the first to react. “How come?” “Because she can’t walk yet, shell-for-brains.” “I could carry her!” “The whole time? I don’t think so.” “Why not?” Leonardo looked at me when I broke in. I was confused, considering that Raphael had done so the previous night. “It worked well enough last night.” “Last night?” The blue-masked turtle raised a suspicious eyebrow. “You didn’t tell them Raphael?” I asked turning to Raphael. He stiffened as Leonardo’s eyes shot to him in confusion and alarm. “Tell us what?” The eldest brother asked dangerously. “Let’s go outside,” Raphael glared at him. The three of us watched as they went over to the window. They left the apartment without another word. 

Up on the rooftop, Leonardo watched his brother from behind while Raphael stared out at the sea. “Alright, Raph,” the elder crossed his arms. “It’s been three days; this has gone on long enough. We need to talk this through.” “Oh, now you wanna talk?” Raphael didn’t even bother spinning to face his brother. “Three days is a lot shorter than a month; you were ok with waiting that long before coming clean.” “I made a mistake,” Leonardo sighed. “I’ve said before, I was wrong. I should have told you guys sooner; I’m sorry, Raph. I didn’t mean to break your trust.” “You didn’t mean to?” Raphael finally glanced at him through the corner of his eyes. “You didn’t mean to, but you did. You’re the leader, Leo; you’re supposed to set the example. You’re the one we should trust above all others.” 

Leonardo couldn’t help but look down, embarrassed. He was right; he knew that Raphael was right. He was supposed to be the golden boy, the fearless leader. But how could he lead anyone if he wasn’t trustworthy? Before they could possibly continue and forgive each other, this had to be mended. “You’re right, Raphael,” Leonardo said with such humility that Raphael was astonished. “That was wrong of me. I should have trusted you guys with the truth. You’re my brothers, my family; there’s nothing more important to me than you. You deserve better and I promise never, ever to keep a secret like that again,” his eyes lifted to meet Raphael’s at the last sentence. “I’m sorry.” 

The red-masked turtle just stared at his brother in a sort of awe. He had not expected such a heart-felt apology; Leonardo really seemed to be trying to make amends with him. It made Raphael surprisingly warm to his eldest brother. He and Leonardo had had their fights over the years, but this was the first sincere confession either had ever given. And Raphael suddenly remembered everything he liked and admired about Leonardo. His moral courage, his mild temper, his humility….. Although this truce wasn’t likely to last long, all was forgiven in that moment; at least on the younger’s part. To prove this, he smirked at Leonardo for the first time in days. Leonardo’s eyes lit up at the welcomed show of brotherly affection. 

“It’s cool, bro,” Raphael waved one of his hands in the air. “We’re cool,” he said, looking him in the eyes. “T-thanks, Raph!” Leonardo was surprised; delighted but surprised. Determined not to be a hypocrite though, Raphael wanted to spring the news as soon as possible, regardless of how Leonardo was feeling just then. “Yeah, well….. I can’t really be mad at you, anymore,” he rubbed the back of his head, glancing away awkwardly. “Why’s that?” Leonardo’s eyebrow raised. 

“Uh, don’t get mad but…… Eros and I kinda…… went to Florence last night.” “Florence?” Leonardo blinked. “As in Florence, Malaga?” Raphael nodded, merely looking at his brother. Leonardo’s face flared. “What the shell is wrong with you?!” He boomed furiously. “What?! You did the exact same thing!” Raphael fired back. “But when she wasn’t injured! Eros can’t even walk!” “You think I would make her walk in her condition?! I’ll have you know I carried her the whole time!” “Y-you carried Eros…….” Leonardo blinked stunned. “All throughout Florence?” “Yeah! I wasn’t going to let her walk, genius,” Raphael crossed his arms over the front of shell. 

Leonardo stared at his brother for a long moment before sharpening his glare. “You couldn’t have waited until she was better, Raph? What if Eros got worse? What if she needed help?” “Don’t worry, I was with her,” Raphael rolled his eyes. “Like I said, I’m not gonna let anything to her; not while I’m still kicking.” Leonardo’s eyes widened in disbelief. “You think that’s good enough?! I can’t believe how selfish you are!” “Selfish?! Me, selfish? Take a look in the mirror sometime, bro!” 

This made Leonardo pause, only to sigh deeply and shut his eyes. “Ok, you’re right. You didn’t anything wrong, I guess; nothing I haven’t done myself anyways,” he rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. “So, I suppose we’re even now.” “Yeah,” Raphael felt ok about this. “I guess we are.” “Just promise me you won’t make Eros go anywhere else until she’s all better?” Leonardo asked him. Raphael looked scandalized. “I wouldn’t go anywhere if it was dangerous! She was perfectly fine with me, Leo.” “I’m not saying she wasn’t! I just…… want to make sure she heals properly, that’s all,” the eldest gazed out into the water. “Yeah,” Raphael joined his brother, staring at the rolling waves. “Me too.” 

“You really went to Florence with Raph!?” Michelangelo asked me in utter amazement. We were lounging around in my living room while we ate breakfast together. I nodded after taking a bite of my toast. “Dude!” His head shot over to Raphael, who was in the middle of his fourth slice of toast. “That’s totally not fair! Both you and Leo have gone somewhere, and I’ve been nowhere!” “I haven’t gone abroad either, in case you’ve forgotten,” Donatello frowned. “He’s got a point, Leo,” he then turned to his eldest brother. “I wanna go somewhere!” Michelangelo announced, not waiting for Leonardo’s response. “Eros!” He suddenly bent to my eye level and took my hand in his large, green one. “Let’s go somewhere! Just you and me!” 

“Heh, fat chance,” Raphael spat, taking another sip of his apple and elderflower juice. “Why not?!” Michelangelo asked in a whiny tone. “You think you can protect her properly while she’s like this? I don’t think so.” “Hey! I’ll have you know I’m very responsible!” This made all three of his brothers burst out laughing. “You- responsible! Those are two words that shouldn’t be used in the same sentence!” I frowned, upset with how they were teasing my orange-masked friend. “I don’t understand why not,” I interrupted their unkind fit of laughter. They suddenly stopped, and Leonardo looked at me in slight horror. 

“He’s right, Leonardo; it’s not fair. I’ve been abroad with you and Raphael. I can’t see why it shouldn’t be his turn. And Donatello too.” “Yeah, but Eros…..” Leonardo began, only to find that he couldn’t finish his sentence. Raphael intervened for him. “What he means is that’s different.” “Different?” Donatello eyebrow raised doubtfully. “Different how?” “Well, Leo and I can handle it out there, even if she can’t walk. And you guys….. it’s just not as easy for you.” “What do you mean “not as easy for us”?” He put his hands on his hips irritated. “May I remind you that Eros has been making a quick recovery because of me? I’ve been the most capable out of all of you,” Donatello pointed to himself. 

“Come on, guys; don’t fight,” I tried to defuse the situation. “I don’t see why I wouldn’t be just as safe with Michelangelo or Donatello,” I directed at the two eldest turtles. “You obviously haven’t seen us in action much,” Raphael smirked a little, earning a nudge to the ribcage by his blue-masked brother. “Listen, we know how valuable you guys have been. Eros wouldn’t be getting better this fast if it wasn’t for you two. But….. going out into the world is different than just leaving the lair. We will go, I promise!” His hands shot up into the air. “When Eros’s is all healed, then we’ll go together.” 

“I wanna go with just Eros!” Michelangelo pulled me in, wrapping one of his arms around my shoulders. “Mikey,” both Raphael and Leonardo frowned, but their youngest brother was adamant. “It’s not fair! Why can you two go alone with her, and I can’t?” “Um,” I decided enough was enough. I didn’t hear any of them asking me what I wanted, which was equally important. “I think Michelangelo and I should go abroad together. I want to go with him.” “You will!” Leonardo coaxed, his eyes suddenly growing. “I promise we’ll all go soon.” “I will be fine with just Michelangelo, Leonardo. I’m not a glass doll.” “No,” Raphael frowned, crossing his arms. “You’re an injured girl who needs to be carried everywhere like a princess.” “At your insistence,” I eyed him, unimpressed. “I could walk, if you let me.” 

“You don’t need to!” Michelangelo proclaimed loudly. “I’ll carry you!” “This is not a good idea,” Leonardo stated. “Why? Raphael and I went to Florence without a hitch last night,” I said. “Yeah, but that was with Raph, and I don’t think you should be going anywhere in your condition. Your trip with Raph was a one-time thing- until you’re well again.” “Uh, excuse me?” Donatello looked at their leader in mild disgust. “Whose leader are you again? Last time I checked, you aren’t in charge of Eros. She can do what she wants.” “That’s right!” Michelangelo beamed. “If she says she wants to go with me, we totally can!” 

Leonardo’s mouth opened to protest but he couldn’t think of how to do it. He was so used to my immediate obedience, not because I am a girl but because I trust his judgement. The fact that I wasn’t complying to his wishes made him re-evaluate his position. Was it really so dangerous for me to go off with Michelangelo or even Donatello alone? Didn’t he trust his brothers and me enough to do that? He glanced at Raphael and a silence conversation passed between them. Then, with the upmost reluctance on Raphael’s part, he forced himself to nod his head. Leonardo couldn’t bring himself to do even that. 

Michelangelo’s eyes glowed in pure anticipation. “Really?!” We both asked at the same time. “I guess a short trip wouldn’t hurt,” Leonardo made himself say; you could hear the reluctance in his voice. “Provided you go somewhere super safe and secluded,” Raphael was quick to add; his voice was more authoritative than Leonardo’s. “We can do that,” I grinned. “Oooooh, my first time out of Edinburgh! I’m so stoaked! Where’re we gonna go?! The possibilities are endless!” “Hey!” Donatello stiffened. “How come Mikey gets to go first? I wanna go too!” “We’ll go next time,” I smiled at Donatello; this did not please him, as he crossed his arms upset. “This isn’t fair! I’m the one who did the most work! It should be me who……..” 

Donatello’s rant was interrupted by the sound of all their T-phone’s chiming. Pausing mid-sentence, they all pulled out their phones to check their text messages. “Hey, did you guys just get a group text message from April?” Donatello asked. “Yup,” his three brothers answered in unison. “And does it say that there’s some Kraang activity at the university again?” “Uh huh,” they responded. This was followed by a pregnant pause. Donatello looked at Michelangelo and Raphael, who looked at Leonardo. His face firmed with decision. “Alright,” he got to his feet, followed by Raphael and Donatello. “Let’s go kick some Kraang butt.” 

“Uh, hold it guys,” they glanced to see Michelangelo still sitting with me on the couch. “I don’t think we should Eros alone.” “You’re right. You stay here and watch over things.” “Sweet!” Michelangelo couldn’t hide the joy in his tone as he did a fist pump in the air. “And no going anywhere!” Leonardo added sternly. “Awe, come on, bro!” The youngest moaned. “Just wait ‘til we get back. You’ll go soon enough,” Leonardo sighed. Donatello didn’t seem phased by this, but Raphael wasn’t convinced. While the other two climbed out of my window, Raphael looked at his younger brother. To Michelangelo’s surprise, his face wore a pleading expression as if to be reading our minds. “Please.” This was all Raphael said, and all he had to say. Instead of saying something encouraging or comforting, Michelangelo just nodded quietly. My eyes moved from one to another, confused at what just transpired between the pair. 

Seemingly content with this exchange, Raphael looked at me one last time. “Later,” he said before disappearing out of my window. We waited until we were sure they were gone, then Michelangelo gave me the most brilliant smile. “So, where to, Ero-pie?” I mirrored his smile.

“Do you think it was a good idea to leave them alone like that? You know their just gonna run off somewhere, maybe even overseas,” Donatello inquired as the three hopped along the rooftops. “Don’t worry,” Leonardo said with a confidence which even surprised him. “They’ll go somewhere safe. Eros wouldn’t put herself at risk like that.” “You mean like the night she took all of Mikey’s wounds?” The purple-masked turtle retorted sourly. “Relax,” Leonardo rolled his eyes. “Mikey has his T-phone. We can find out where they are later. Until then, let’s just focus on the mission.” “Speak for yourself,” Raphael muttered under his breath, glancing away. 

They arrived at the university campus, which was empty for a second time- not because of an evacuation but because it was a Sunday. April was outside, down a couple of streets waiting for them. They spotted her immediately, coming over to her. “There you are!” She said in a stern but hushed voice. “Where have you guys been?! I haven’t seen you in days!” “It’s a long story,” Donatello explained. “What’s going on?” “The Kraang have been sneaking onto campus for some reason,” April looked at the closed doors near them. “They must be looking for something inside.” “Alright, thanks for calling us, April. We’ll handle this,” Leonardo told her. “Where’s Mikey?” She asked confused before they left. “He’s with a friend. Just stay here and keep watch. Let us know if anything happens.” “Ok,” April nodded and the three crept over to the school’s main entrance.

They found nothing out of the ordinary at first. The building was dark, the halls were empty, and there didn’t seem to be a robot in sight. This quiet only lasted until they reached the dining hall, the same room they had been in with me on previous occasion. They didn’t emerge right away, allowing them to spread out to different corners of the room. Leonardo paused when he noticed a scrap on the wooden floor from the monster of their last battle. Kneeling, he lowered his eyes and sheathed one sword. With his free hand, he reached down to caress the wound in the wood. Then he gently pressed his palm on it. His thoughts kept returning to one thing, one entity……. Eros, he thought warmly to himself. Just what kind of world have we dragged you into? 

Leonardo’s contemplation was abruptly interrupted at the sound of Kraang blasts from the other side of the room. Taking out his other sword, he quickly joined his brothers to face four Kraang bots, each armed with blasters. “The Kraang has located the turtles in the place where the Kraang last saw the turtles.” “Ugh,” their eyes collectively rolled. “What are you doing here again?” Leonardo demanded. “Who cares?! Let’s just beat ‘em up!” Raphael spat, readying his sai in his hands. “Let’s make this quick. I wanna go home.” “Home?” Donatello blinked at Raphael in confusion. “You mean back to the lair?” “No! I mean….. I wanna back to the apartment. Ugh! Nevermind, just get ‘em!” “Wait, Raph!” Leonardo halted his younger brother. “This is the second time we’ve caught them here. They must be here for a reason.” “Why are you here, alien scum?” Donatello demanded, shifting his bow staff for emphasis.

“Where is the one known as Erynnis?” One of the Kraang asked. Leonardo’s eyes grew as he felt his heart skip a beat; several beats. Hearing the Kraang say my name felt wrong, so wrong. Meanwhile, the other two looked puzzled by this question. “Who’s Erynnis?” Donatello asked in a whisper over to Leonardo. “The Erynnis was last seen with the turtles. Tell us where she is or the Kraang will attack the turtles.” “Last seen with us?” Raphael’s eyebrow lifted. “We don’t know anyone named Erynnis.” “Eros…….” Leonardo whispered to himself, low enough that his brothers couldn’t hear. He felt sick, sick and selfish- unbelievably selfish. Why did I have to drag her into our world? He asked himself unconsciously. Why does it have to be this way? Why can’t we…… Why can’t I have a human friend without them getting involved with all this? Why?

“The Kraang know that the turtles know where she is. Tell the Kraang or face antihalation,” they lifted up their blasters. “Heh,” Raphael chuckled, shifting his feet to a battle stance. “Just go ahead and try it!” He and Donatello charged, fighting with two of the Kraang. Leonardo just stood motionless, gazing off into nowhere and seemingly unaware of the conflict going on around him. “Hey!” Raphael called out to him angrily. “You frozen back there?! Could use a little help here, chief!” He pushed one of the Kraang off him. 

“The Kraang know that the turtles know her location!” The Kraang kept pushing the issue. “Tell the Kraang! She is valuable!” “What makes you think we know her?” Donatello struck one with his staff. “She was at this place when the Kraang were also last at this place.” Donatello and Raphael froze for a second, beginning to put the pieces together. Their eyes grew in terror as they slowly came to realize. “W-wait? D-do you mean Eros? Is she Erynnis?” “Of course!” Donatello snapped his fingers. “Eros is the translation of Erynnis! They’re talking about Eros!” 

Raphael immediately understood the dumbfounded look on Leonardo’s face. “No……” He thought out loud. “No!” “Leo!” Donatello turned to the eldest for direction. Leonardo still didn’t move, too stunned to even think. This was not the case for the red-masked turtle however. Under a sudden rage, Raphael didn’t hesitate to attack the Kraang. He took down four of the them by himself in two minutes. Meanwhile, the purple-masked turtle was trying to gage the situation from the remaining Kraang. “Why do you want Eros? What are you after?” “Who cares?!” Raphael interrupted with a fatal smash to the robot. “You’re not getting anywhere near her! I won’t let you!” 

The two other turtles had to do very little after the revelation; Raphael did the majority of the fighting, or rather obliterating. He stood in the middle of a bunch of scattered bot parts, breathing heavily and refusing to put his sai away. “Well,” Donatello finally shrugged. “That takes care of that, I guess.” “How do they know who she is?” Raphael demanded at the purple-masked turtle. “I don’t know, Raph,” Donatello answered in a tone. “Someone destroyed all the Kraang before they could answer any questions.” “This doesn’t make any sense,” Raphael growled, completely ignoring his brother’s remark. “Do you think they know about her power?” “I have no idea,” Donatello put his staff away. “What do you think, Leo?” They both turned back the pale-faced brother. He didn’t answer, just kept breathing heavily. Eros…… She’s not safe with us, the leader’s eyes breathing quickened. She’s not safe!


	5. Amsterdam

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Michelangelo and you take a trip to Amsterdam.

Michelangelo and I sat on the rooftop overlooking my all-time favorite city: Amsterdam. He gawked with eyes and mouth wide open. I just kept glancing from the view to him; his priceless expression was just that- priceless to me. Eventually, the excited turtle turned to me, wearing the biggest grin I’d ever seen. “This place is so cool!” “Yes.” “There’s rivers everywhere!” “Canals, Michelangelo; they’re called canals.” “The houses are all different colors, and everywhere has its own boat!” I laughed. “I don’t know if every place does.” “Can we go down there?” Ignoring my comment, his green fat finger pointed at the street. This made me hesitate for a minute. We technically weren’t supposed to be out, and I knew Leonardo would flip if he heard that we went tracing around in public. But then again, this was Michelangelo’s first time out of Edinburgh and I wanted it to be special for him. With slight hesitation, I softly nodded my head. 

The orange-masked turtle carried me through the back roads of Amsterdam. They weren’t as scenic as the main ones along the canals but stunning nonetheless. Michelangelo certainly didn’t seem to mind. He soaked in absolutely everything like a sponge- the scenery, the sounds, the scents. I even managed to get us into the back rooms of the Rijksmuseum, which he also loved. And when we got hungry, I got us some authentic pancakes- he let me walk for that. While eating on the rooftop, Michelangelo surveyed the landscape again and sighed. “I love it here.” “So do I,” I agreed. “I wish I could see more.” “You mean like the fields outside the city? Out there?” “Have you been there? Yeah, something like that.” Thinking for a quick second, I flashed him a smile. “Well, it is still early……..” “Really?!” His eyes lit up in enthusiasm. “You mean it?!” “I don’t see why not- for a little while.” “Rad!” He didn’t wait to scoop me up in one swoop. “Let’s go!” 

The three eldest turtles were quiet the whole way back, or at least part of the way. Reaching a rooftop with an ocean view, Leonardo found himself stopping to face it. The others only paused when they noticed that he wasn’t following from behind. “Leo? You alright back there?” Donatello called out. Leonardo didn’t answer, making his brothers hop back to where he was standing. Even then, the eldest refused to take his stare off the water. “Leo?” “Bro, what’s wrong?” “We should go.” “Go?” Raphael and Donatello shot each other a confused look. “Go where?” “We should leave Eros…….” 

“What? You mean like leave her apartment?” Donatello ventured to ask; Raphael didn’t look so forthcoming. “I mean like leave her- get of her life, for good.” This definitely sparked something in the red-masked turtle, who’s face grew more defensive. “What are you talking about, dude? We just came into her life; why would we leave now? What’s the point?” “The point is she’s in danger; so long as she’s friends with us…….” “Are you referring to the Kraang?” Donatello’s eyebrow rose. “Dude, we can handle them. We can protect her……” Raphael started. “What if we can’t?!” Leonardo interrupted with a shout. Both brothers stiffened in surprise at the severity of his voice. To add emphasis, Leonardo shot them a serious glare. 

“We can’t drag her into all this. We……. we come from different worlds; she has no place in ours.” “Hold on,” Donatello raised his hand. “You seem to have no problem with April in “our world”. Why is Eros so different?” “Because the Kraang are searching for her.” “Exactly,” Raphael narrowed his eyes onto the eldest. “We can’t just abandon her now; not with those freaks out there. She needs us, Leo.” “No, she doesn’t. She was fine before we came, and she’ll be fine without us.” “Leo……” Donatello’s eyes grew astonished. Meanwhile Raphael could feel his temper starting to flare. 

The red-masked turtle hands rolled into fists. “And you think you get to make that call? For all of us?” “Yes, I do,” Leonardo responded with a sharp glare. “Who do you think you are?! She’s our friend too, don’t forget. We get a say in this too!” “Uh, guys……” “You’re only her friends because I was her friend first. As I recall, you’re the one who didn’t trust her at all, Raph.” “That was before! Of course I trust her now.” “Why? Because she took you to Florence? You think one trip suddenly makes you two close?” “Guys……” “No, we’re close because I say we are. Gotta problem with that?” Raphael’s arms crossed defiantly. Leonardo looked like he was about to pop. “I can’t believe how selfish you are, Raph.” “Me selfish?! You want to rip her out of our lives without so much as even asking us! And what about Eros, hmmmm? You think she’ll just willingly wave goodbye and never talk to us again?” “She would if I told her the situation. She’s smart; she’d never do anything to put herself at risk.” “Yeah, like take a large mutant turtle she doesn’t know to Paris.” “Guys!”

“What?!” The blue-masked and red-masked turtle finally acknowledged the younger. “You guys are missing the point. Think about it for a sec- why are the Kraang after Eros? How do they even know about her in the first place?” His thick fingers snapped together. “I bet it has something to do with her powers. She’s never explained them to us.” “Who cares?” Raphael cut in. “You’re wrong, Donnie. The point is that the Kraang want her at all; forget the reason. What’s important now is making sure those freaks don’t get their mitts on Eros.” “Right, Raph; and the best way to do that is to disappear,” Leonardo added, earning a glare from his younger brother. “Well allow me to disagree, oh so righteous leader.” 

“Come on, guys,” Donatello’s eyes rolled exasperated. “Let’s just get back and talk this over with the others.” The older turtles let him take the lead when either of them refused to budge, still glaring daggers at each other. They followed silently behind the purple-masked brother until my apartment was in view. 

Michelangelo watched as I carefully walked through the field of flowers, humming and softly singing to myself the whole time. We were on the outskirts of Amsterdam in a place called Aalsmeer. It was wide enough that would could find a secluded area where my green friend wasn’t likely to be seen. While there, he let me practice walking by myself, with his attentive supervision of course. The orange-masked turtle let out a soft, content sigh as he quietly observed me hum among the white flowers- it looked like a scene out of a movie. And I was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. He realized this when I knelt down for a closer look at a pink butterfly. This was a beauty Michelangelo had never seen, never knew of before. Watching me was like listening to music, but not pop songs or something like that; more like gentle classic melodies. His eyes softened onto my image amongst the flowers. Michelangelo didn’t know such beauty existed, and it possessed him. 

I came up to join him with an arm full of flowers. He greeted me with a kind smile. “I brought you some flowers.” “Awe! That’s sweet of you. How are you feeling by the way?” The turtle asked as I sat down on the grass beside him. “Much better. Still a little sore but that’ll go away soon.” “Thanks again.” “For what?” “For taking that injury from me…… although I still have no clue how you did it.” “Heh, neither do I,” I chuckled lowly. “I don’t know where this ability came from, same with my “door opening”. I’ve always just been able to do without knowing how, kinda like breathing or moving a limb. Does that make sense?” “Sorta…… not really,” his eyes began to scroll downwards. “You really have no idea where these powers came from?” “No, and neither does my father. They’re just…… there,” I gave a little shrug. 

“Huh…….” Michelangelo considered this for a moment. He then flashed me a brilliant smile. “Well I guess it’s good either way. You can go wherever you want!” “Well, not exactly. I have to have been there at least once before and have to picture the place in my mind while opening “the door”. Actually, I didn’t figure that out until I was nine; we knew about my healing factor much earlier.” “How?” “When I three, Daddy cut his finger. I wrapped my hand around it and when I pulled away, the cut was gone. We looked and realized that my finger was bleeding in the exact same place, and that’s how we found out.” “Wow,” he blinked in astonishment. “That’s both cool and freaky at the same time.” “Tell me about it. It also doesn’t help that we have literally no explanation why.” “Maybe someday you will.” “Maybe…….” I found myself glancing up at the sky wistfully. 

A quiet moment passed until I eventually blinked over to Michelangelo, who was also staring upwards. “Michelangelo?” “Yeah?” “Are you happy?” “Out here? Course I am! This is the best time I’ve ever had!” A wave of joy washed over his already-happy face. “No,” I gently corrected. “I mean are you happy with life? I can’t imagine it being very fun living in the sewers.” “Oh, it’s alright,” his hand gave a nonchalant wave. “We can skate down there and be as loud as we want. It’s pretty sweet, once you get used to it.” “I don’t think I could; I’d be too concerned about rats.” He laughed. “Oh, believe me; we got rats, big ones.” This made me shutter. “Ugh! I hate rats! They’re reason enough never to go down there.” “I’m sure you will sometime. We live down there, after all,” he gave me a cute smirk. “Yes,” my head slowly nodded in agreement. “You do live down there……. and you only come up when its dark.” “Uh huh,” this didn’t seem to bother him. Not him, but me……. “I can’t imagine what it must have been like for you…….” My gaze drifted into nowhere thoughtfully. 

Them, all of them- they’d been underground, hidden from the world for so many years. No wonder Raphael didn’t trust me; look at where humans have driven them to. Slowly, my eyes rose back over to the happy, go-lucky Michelangelo. He was humming to himself while cloud-watching, complete unaware of my pity for him and his brothers. Looking at him, watching him, I couldn’t help but be overcome with a burning desire to help. I wanted to show him- all of them- what they’d never had a chance to see before. I wanted them to see, and I wanted to see them do so. In that moment, I grasped just how much I’d seen……. and by contrast, how limited their worldview was. With the upmost tenderness, I reached over to take Michelangelo’s hand in mine. Yes, I want to help them; I want to help them see…….. The youngest turtle just turned to me with a confused face. I smiled at him; I smiled……. “Would you like to go to a party, Michelangelo?”


	6. Goodbye

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leonardo thinks that separation is the only way to keep you safe. But goodbyes are never fun.

“This is awesome!” Michelangelo announced in a whisper as we walked down the crowded Amsterdam street. It was the youngest turtle’s first time being out in public. I had heard of a carnival happening this weekend in Amsterdam and was thinking of asking Leonardo if he’d like to go. Or at least I was until I got sufficiently injured. But the timing seemed too perfect- I had to take one of them, if not all. And seeing how the others were busy to my knowledge, Michelangelo was the lucky one. 

Arm-in-arm, we maneuvered through the crowds. He rightfully had reservations at first, but I assured him that it was like an evening party. Lots of people were in bright, colorful costumes; though granted, Michelangelo was the only turtle. He adored it; every second he wore the biggest grin. Quickly turning from booth to booth, his large green finger kept pointing to exhibits and food stalls- lots of food stalls. “Oooooh look! Look at all the cheese, Eros! Why is it all round like that? Ooooh look at that! Waffle cookies!” “Stroopwafel.” “Gesundhiet. Hey, check that out Eros! Rides! Oh! Oh! I wanna go on the Ferris wheel! I’ve always wanted to ride one! And then can we get more hotdogs?” “Uh……” I did a mental calculation of my wallet’s contents. “Sure.” “Alright! Let’s go!” He zoomed out in front of me. I wavered behind, double-checking my wallet. Oh boy; this was going to be an expensive night. Seeing his excitement however, I already knew it was worth it. “Come on, Eros! The line’s getting longer!” “Coming!” 

Leonardo was the first to arrive back at my apartment. He pushed open the unlocked window and crept inside, immediately followed by his two younger brothers. “Eros! Mikey!” The eldest called out, only to receive no answer. Donatello checked the bedroom. “It’s empty. They’re not here,” he rejoined them in the wreck room. “What?! I specifically told them not to…….” “Who put you in charge?” Raphael shot him a sideways glare. “As I recall, you’re our leader; Eros can do what she wants.” “Oh, so you’re ok with Mikey just carrying her around all night in a foreign country? As I recall, you weren’t keen on the idea earlier. How did you put it? “You think you can protect her properly while she’s like this? I don’t think so.” If you’re gonna challenge my authority, at least be consistent,” Leonardo’s arms folded. “I said you’re not the boss of Eros,” Raphael responded with a low growl. “Mikey’s a different story.” 

Leonardo’s eyes narrowed but he read Raphael loud and clear. He obviously wasn’t ok with it but didn’t want to pin the blame on me. The eldest turned to the purple-masked turtle. “Find them.” “On it,” Donatello yanked out his T-phone to press Michelangelo’s tracker. His eyes grew in surprise. “They’re in…… Amsterdam.” “Call him and tell him to bring his half-wit shell back here now,” Raphael was next to issue orders, earning a surprised yet annoyed glance from the leader. “Leo?” Donatello looked for confirmation. Leonardo’s head only gave a silent nod. 

We were in the middle of our third- or Michelangelo’s case, sixth- helping of bitterballen, rookworst, and fries. I had lots of Dutch milk- best in the world- and sweets to wash it down. Michelangelo’s primary focus was the sausage and cheese. And he didn’t even notice nor complain about the lack of pizza. Loud foreign pop music blared in the background, making it hard to talk to anyone. Not that we were doing much talking at the moment anyways. 

Michelangelo’s mouth was stuffed full of gouda when his T-phone began to vibrate; he couldn’t hear the ringing. “Yo!” He uttered poorly. “Put it on speaker,” Raphael told Donatello. He then said in a very domineering tone: “Mikey! Where are you?” “A carnival.” “Carnival!?” All their eyes widened in shock. “Is that Donatello?” I asked in the background. “Hi Donnie!” “What are you doing out in public?! Are you insane?” Leonardo gasped; more concerned than angry at the moment. “Dude, it’s a carnival; lots of people are wearing costumes here. No one cares.” “How’s Eros? Is she ok?” “She’s fine, Leo; stop worrying so much. I’ve got everything under control.” “I’m the one paying for everything,” I added before stuffing another sour red belt in my mouth. “Figuratively speaking.” 

“I don’t care. Come home,” Raphael had had enough. “Awe but dude! We’ve only been on the Ferris wheel five times!” “Now Mikey!” “Raph, calm down,” Donatello gazed up at the red-masked brother. “It sounds like everything’s ok. Besides, you can’t talk after your little trip to Florence. Why shouldn’t they stay out?” “Uh, because she’s injured?” He said in the most matter-o-fact voice possible. “Well I think……..” “Donnie, Raph,” they flinched at the sound of severity in Leonardo’s tone. His eyes were locked onto Donnie’s T-phone, though it wasn’t a furious glare; more thoughtful, considerate…….. “Mikey, please come home,” his voice was smaller this time. 

There was a long pause. Michelangelo and I looked at each other until I finally gave a slight nod. “Alright, bro. We’re on our way.” Then he hung up and set his phone away. With a sigh, we finished our food, went to find a nearby concealed door, and opened it to my room. Before I did, I suggested that Michelangelo pick me up in his arms. “It’s better this way,” I said. He agreed and swept me up like a Disney princess. Then we went through the threshold together. With a deep breath from both of us, we entered the main area to find all three brothers waiting for us. 

“Eros!” Leonardo immediately rushed over to us, or rather me. The others just looked at us with relief and fair irritation. “Are you alright?” “Yes,” I smiled at Leonardo. He moved out of the way so Michelangelo could carry me over to the couch, gently setting me down. “Did you carry her the whole time?” Raphael asked the youngest. “Uhhhhhhhhhh………” “I was fine, Raphael; nothing happened and I’m not in pain.” This seemed to satisfy the red-masked turtle as he gave a soft nod. “Why did you leave the apartment? I told you to stay,” Leonardo then asked the youngest. “Dude, we were experiencing a horrible bout of cabin fever and wanted to get out. I totally was in control.” “Yeah, and what if something? What would you do? You’re alone,” Raphael frowned sternly. 

This caught Michelangelo off guard. “Wait, so you and Leo can go but I’m not responsible enough?” “Yeah! That’s exactly what I mean.” “Come on, dudes! I’m responsible…… sometimes. I definitely wouldn’t let anything happen to Eros; not Eros.” Michelangelo, I blinked up at him. “And that gives you the right to go galivanting off whenever you want?” “Oh, like you’re one to talk, Raph,” Donatello added with a tone. “What are you saying?” “You just don’t want anyone else “guarding” your precious Eros.” “No! That’s not true; I just want to make sure she’s safe.” “Well I think……..”   
Ugh, my eyes inwardly rolled in exasperation. Why is it that whenever they talk about me, they never talk “to” me? I was a grown woman, not a baby. I’m sure it wasn’t deliberate sexism but would it kill them to ask my opinion for once? It was then that I noticed Leonardo staring at me; not looking- staring. Leonardo? My own gaze fixed onto his. Confliction distorted his face like he was internally at war with himself. But why? What was there to be struggling about? I was healing just fine and nothing bad happened in Amsterdam, so then why……..? 

“Eros,” my spine stiffened as he unexpectedly addressed me. “Come with me.” “Huh?” Without warning, he broke through his still arguing brothers to come lift me up. The others only stopped at the sight of their leader carrying me to the front door. “Let’s go to the roof,” he directed softly. Confused, I obeyed opening “the door” to my apartment’s roof. He slammed it shut before anyone could follow us. “Uh, Leonardo? What’s going on?” I was obviously perplexed by all this. 

The blue-masked turtle set me down on the ledge, instantly joining me. He didn’t say anything right away, waiting for a minute or two before breaking the silence. “Eros, do you remember the Kraang?” “The Kraang?” I blinked. “You mean those brain monsters from the university? Those ones?” “Yeah…….” His voice trailed off for a moment. “Listen, Eros. Those aliens are really dangerous. Aside from the Foot Clan, they’re the ones we’re fighting most of the time.” “I see…….” I didn’t know that; I guess it makes sense though, since they know so much about them. “It’s just plain not safe……. It’s not safe for you.” 

“What do you mean?” This was certainly confusing. “The Kraang know that we know you.” “W-why would that matter? Why would they care about that?” Instead of answering, Leonardo’s eyes just trailed down to nowhere. “I think we should…….. uh, we need to…….” This isn’t easy, he felt his palms began to sweat. Partly because I don’t want to…….. I don’t want to……. Without warning, Leonardo suddenly felt his arms moving on their own accord. He was just as surprised as me to find himself wrapping both his arms tight around my body. Leonardo hugged me without thought, without realization. He just wanted to hold me, to press me as near to him as possible; afraid to retract his strong, green arms. 

I was so astonished that it took me a while to react myself. “L-Leonardo?” “I’m afraid.” “Huh?” “You said before that you feel safe with me cause I’m the strongest and I’m strong because I’m afraid. But…… I can’t help but feel like I’m not strong enough.” “What do you mean? Of course you’re strong enough; you’re as strong as you need to be.” I felt his grip tighten. “No, I’m not…….” “Wha-……..” “I’m afraid…… What if something happened to you?” 

Oh; oh, I see. Like his fear of leading his brothers, he can’t handle the thought of anything happening to me. Happening to me……… My cheeks blushed a beet red. Leonardo! “I can’t…… I’m afraid I’m strong enough…….” He whispered into my ear. “You don’t have to worry about that, Leonardo. Nothing will happen to me.” “You don’t know that. You don’t know what the Kraang are like……. they won’t stop.” “But why? I don’t understand.” “You don’t have to; you don’t have to worry about this. Only…….” 

Very hesitantly, Leonardo gently tugged me back, still holding onto my shoulders. A small, soft smile crossed his sad lips; it felt like he was drinking in my image- soaking in my presence. “Please don’t think I’m just trying to get away from you. You’ve brought me so much happiness, Eros. So much………” “Leonardo!” W-what was he doing? “I care about you…….. I care enough about you to let you go.” “Let me go? You mean you’re leaving?” My voice was suddenly full of panic. “But….. but no……” “It’s best this way. You can just go back to your old life and forget about us…….” His gazed moved like this was physically painful for him. “You’ll be safe this way…….” 

“S-so this is goodbye then? You’re really leaving me, for good?” I couldn’t help but have a slight hiccup in my throat. This hurt; I couldn’t say how much this hurt me. To my surprise, instead of answering, his hand just reached up to touch the back of my head. He pushed it forward until our foreheads were pressed against each other. His beautiful shimmering eyes locked onto mine and neither of us said anything; we just stared into the other’s glorious gaze. “Even though our time together was short, I wouldn’t change a thing. You showed me so much I didn’t know I could see; you changed me, for the better. You changed me, Eros……. I’ll never be the same, not since you…….” His voice caught in his throat for a moment, giving enough time for a tear to roll down my check. “I’ve seen so much,” he then said in the kindest, sweetest way imaginable. Our eyes locked again, mine now full of tears. “I’ve seen so much, and it’s all thanks to you. You changed everything for me, Eros……..”


End file.
